








f 1 






I^e^o L L e C T 10 N_5 



FROM 



1860 TO 1865. 



BY JOHN H. LEWIS, 



Ex-LlEUTENANT IN HuGER'S, AND R. H. ANDERSON'S, AND 

Pickett's Divisions, Army oF„JNr»nrHs^fi Virginia. 



Set OP CO/^ffJ> 



^^y'^^fSHT 



^CTT^n^ 



OP 



OM. 



Washington, IX C.:' ^S^ ^J 
Peake & Company, Publishers. 
1895. 



OmC^ Weill ©GlPFip, 

Gonfedepafe Veterans, 

PORTSI^OUTH, VIRGIN^. 



^LL WHOM IT MAY CCWER/V: 

Wc do /?c/'c/>y c/ech'-c snid urr'tify tli^t 

} JOHN H. LEWIS 

j y the Military Service of The GonFederafe 
kes of Arpspiea on tiie 20tti day of April, 
, as a private in Company G, 9th Va. Reg't, 
was Second Lieut, of same company at the end 
e ivar, and ivas on the 21 day of Dec, 1887, 
?d a member of StoDeWall Garnp, ^nd 
due proof of the above Military Record has 
^vi/arded this certificate. 

I of In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands ana 
if:. V. - 3f^:xed the seal of this camp this 19th day of Ap-^il, IS93 

H C. HUDGINS, Commar^ier. 

J. ThOS Dunn, Adjutant. 

;..siEn r PY.] 



PREFACE. 



„ nf tliis little book does not claim to > 
"^'^ treelre.pecttofindanygvea.ae 

scholar, nor ^^^^^ ^ ^,^„ ,,,e,nents of ae. 

:;r:ra:dr;:.eLti..,de.ri.edin.- 

:5.1y at fault in many tUings, but the tnc^d 
lu. .his booU were .oindelii,ly>n,p-sed 

•. n.o+ the errors are few, if ai 
• 1 ^f ihp writer that tne enuio 

Recollections. 



V 
X 




>fe 



^' ReCOLLeCTIONS 

FROM 

1860 TO 1865. 

TO With Incidents of Catnp Life, Descriptions of 

Battles, The Life of the Southern Soldier, 

His Hardships and Sufferings, And the 

Life of a Prisoner of War in the 

Northern Prisons. 



/ 

BY JOHN H. LEWIS, 

Ex-LlEUTENANT IN HuGER'S, AND R. H. ANDERSON'S, AND 

' Pickett's Divisions, Army of Northern Virginia. 

bee I 

Sior. . , — , - A — — -♦ _ y A 

(La • ^ J\n OM. 



Washington, D. C: 

Peake & Company, Publishers. 

1895. 



I -■-». 



^7 



Entered accordin3 to act of Conaress in the year 
1895 by 

JOHN H. LEWIS 
in the office of the Librarian of Congress at 

Washington, D. C. 






RECOLLECTIOnS 

—FROM— 

1860 TO 1865. 



CHAPTER I.— State of feeling in the South 
before the election.— After the election.— 
The Border States to April, 1861.— Unity of 
the Border States.— Arrival of troops from 
the South.- First brush with the enemy.— 
All heroes from their standpoint. 



In the spring of 1860 the writer of this little book 
was in the city of Savannah, State of Georgia. 
There had been unrest in the South for a number of 
years, but since the John Brown raid the year before 
it had somewhat increased, until now it had culmi- 
nated in talk of separation, and even war. In April 
of this year the Democratic convention met at 
Charleston, South Carolina, and had dissolved in 
discord, which caused things in political circles to 
assume a very threatening outlook, for unless the 



4 RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 

Democratic party both North ond South united there 
was a possibility — in fact, a great probability — that 
the Abolitionists, or Black Republican party, as it 
was then called, would elect the President; and that 
event to the people of the extreme South seemed to 
mean separation, or perhaps war, as in all this talk of 
separation there was always linked with it a possi- 
bility of war. 

This subject continued to be discussed everywhere, 
and finally in June the Black Republican party met 
in Chicago, Illinois, and made its nominations for 
President and Vice-President, Lincoln and Hamlin. 
On the receipt of this news the people of the South 
became more earnest in their talk, and did not hesi- 
tate to openly talk of secession and war. They 
even at this early date commenced to form clubs for 
war purposes. Thus things went on, and the bitter- 
ness grew as the time for the election approached. 
I being a Virginim by birth and a Southerner by 
education naturally sided with the South, and op- 
posed the Republican party; but not being quite as 
hotheaded as the extreme Southerners, I looked on 
the situation with more coolness than they. 

In the early days, or in fact from June to Novem- 
ber, as I said, the talk of war increased. It was 
thought by the people of the North that only slave 
owners were engaged in this war talk. This was 
an error; the major portion of the people of the city 
of Savannah, and I think of all the extreme South- 
ern States, were, or seemed to be from my observa- 
ion, generally united on the subject. It was not a 



RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 5 

question of slaves, or of dollars and cents; but 
among intelligent citizens of all classes it was prin- 
ciple and right, as they understood it. As I said, 
being a Virginian I was not quite as hotheaded as 
the people of this city, and I listened to the talk of 
war with a hope that in some way it would be 
averted. I was no politician, and did not know how 
it might be done; it was all hope with me. 

The latter part of October I returned to my home 
in Virginia (Portsmouth), and I found that war and 
secession was also the general topic there, but not 
quite to the extent that it was further south. Still 
the question was never lost sight of, and it grew as 
time passed. The election came, and the wires 
flashed through the country the election of Lincoln 
for President of the United States. 

The smoking embers of discord at once broke into 
a flame, and commenced to burn with fearful feroc- 
ity. As had been surmised, the people of the States 
of South Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, Flor- 
ida, and Alabama openly asserted that they would 
not submit to the rule of the Black Eepublican 
party, and would secede from the Government of 
the United States. 

While there were but few out-and-out Secession- 
ists at this time in Virginia, 90 per cent of the Vir- 
ginians were in sympathy with their sister States of 
the South, and while they hoped there would be no 
war, and were in favor of using all honorable means 
to avert such a calamity, yet Virginia, with all of 
the border States, deep down in their "heart of 



6 r.ECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865- 

hearts," had fully determined that if the Southern 
States did secede, that no troops should cross their 
border to coerce them into submission. 

As early as December 20 South Carolina had for- 
mally seceded from the United States, and the States 
of Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and Alabama 
had followed her in quick succession. Time passed 
on, and the early spring of 1861 found the country 
in great unrest and excitement. In the month of 
March there were differences of opinion in the bor- 
der States as to the action they would take, but I 
was of the opinion that, when all honorable means 
of settlement had been exhausted, that the border 
States would take sides with the South. It could 
not well be otherwise; and so it proved. Time passed 
with this continual excitement; Virginia had elected 
members to a convention to meet in Richmond in 
April, to decide the course Virginia would take. It 
was rather of a Union complexion, but while in 
session events took place that altered the entire sit- 
uation, and on the 18th of April, 1861, the conven- 
tion passed the ordinance of secession. The news 
was flashed over the State, and all differences of 
opinion disappeared, with few exceptions . And the 
grand old State bared her bosom for the conflict; 
she had cast her lot with her sisters of the South. 
And taking in consideration her former position 
among the States, and her high and honorable ca 
reer in ^the past, there was no doubt that she as a 
State would remain steadfast to the end. 
The people felt that they had exhausted all hon- 



RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. t 

or able means to avert the catastrophe; they had 
stood as mediators between the extremists of the 
North and South, and there was but one course left; 
she chose what she believed to be the path of honor 
and what she believed to be right. 

I well remember the receipt of the news and its 
effect in my town, Portsmouth. Up to that time 
there had been differences of opinion; but imme- 
diately on the seceding of the State the whole pop - 
ulation became united, as they had been taught 
from childhood that while it was a duty to love 
their country, it was obligatory to love their State 
and obey her decrees "first, last, and all the time." 
Believing thus, it is no wonder that when on April 
20 the Government called out the Third Virginia 
Regiment of Volunteers seven hundred men 
promptly answered the call, and were ready to do 
battle for the State and the South. 

This regiment was assembled at one o'clock on 
April 20, 1861, and on that night the war commenced 
jn earnest ; it is true that'Sumter had been fired on and 
evacuated; but that night, atthe Gosport navy-yard, 
was seen the terrors of what war would be; the yard 
with all its shipping and buildings, and vast stores 
of ammunition, went up in flames; and amid the 
red glare of fire, with the boom of artillery from 
loaded guns left on the old battle ship Pennsylvania, 
and as the fire reached them were discharged; amid 
this glare and the passing of the Federal fleet down 
the river, with shotted guns and ports open for 
action, bearing on the two cities, that section of Vir- 



8 BECOLLECTIONS FKOM 1860 TO 1865. 

ginia, and the whole State was firmly cemented to 
the cause of the South; and men who had been 
opposed to war, and were lukewarm, became hot 
advocates and rushed to do battle for their State 
and the cause of the South. 

All of the border States soon followed Virginia 
and the South became united "for weal or woe," 
and so remained until the final climax at Appo- 
mattox. There might have been, and probably 
was, mismanagement on the part of the civil Gov- 
ernment of the Confederate States, but there was 
no weakness, no shrinking, in her soldiers. From 
each and every part of the South her sons came for- 
ward to the support of her cause, and from Manassas 
to Appomattox in the East, and from Jhiloh to the 
surrender of Johnson in North Carolina, and beyond 
the mighty Mississippi, all stood shoulder to shoulder 
as they had bound themselves in the beginning, and 
they fell together in the mighty crash, everything 
gone save honor and the memory of the graves of 
their comrades. These were left them as a heritage, 
as a reminder of the heroic struggle, and it becomes 
the duty of the living to see that the memory of our 
dead does not suffer, and to teach our children and 
the youth of our southland their duty to the mem- 
ories of their ancestors. 

In a few days after Virginia joined hands with 
the Southern States troops began to arrive within 
her borders from the South, this being tidewater 
one of the important points they naturally were sent 
here. And, being myself in this locality, Ports- 



RECOLLECTIONS PROM 1860 TO 1865. 9 

mouth, Virginia, I shall commence my recollections 
at this point, and give them as I progress from place 
to place. Remember that these recollections are 
written from memory, and perhaps dates may vary 
a little, but in the main will be correct. The state- 
ments will be given as they occurred, without 
drawing on the imagination. In fact, I shall try to 
make these recollections true to history as regards 
the incidents therein. 

Naturally, all was bustle and hurry; war was 
new to us. With soldiers arriving and to be pro- 
vided for, new officers to appoint, such as quarter- 
masters and commissaries, the vast amount of camp 
equipage and rations, kept everybody on the move, 
but soon things began to assume shape, and quiet 
and order were restored. The Virginia troops and 
all of the material of war captured in the Gosport 
navy -yard remained under the Virginia authorities 
for a time, about two months; the heavy guns were 
being shipped to various points south, and distrib- 
uted to the different batteries in the harbor. Soon 
we were in condition in and around Norfolk and 
Portsmouth to resist any fleet that might attempt 
to enter. The troops as they arrived were placed in 
camp, and began the routine life of the soldier, 
drillirg, doing guard duty, eating and sleeping; in 
fact, in a month or so a great many of the soldiers 
began to look on the matter as a holiday, and few 
thought they would ever be called on to fight . it 
seemed to the great fear at this time with many of 
the soldiers that the war would close before they 



10 RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 

would have th e pleasure of killing some one; many 
of us had in after years worried for fear somebody 
might kill us. , 

Thus the days went by, and with the pranks of 
the boys who were learning all kinds of deviltry, as 
soldiers in camp generally learn; even then camp 
hung heavy on all hands; but this was only the be- 
ginning. New things and new duties were to come, 
of which we little dreamed. Great numbers of 
soldiers had assembled in that vicinity, and were 
placed first under the command of General Gwynn, 
but at the time of which I write were under the 
command of General Huger, of South Carolina. 
There was possibly 10.000 men in that vicinity, and 
all seemed to be trying to do as little as they could , 
and get as much pleasure out of the situation, and 
all were always ready to draw their rations and 
pay. I recollect the first pay was paid Virginia 
troops by the State, and the next pay was by the Con- 
federate States, in new Confederate notes, and the 
people were paying 20 per cent premium for it as 
souvenirs. Some of the people who bought at that 
time had boxes of it at the close of the war One gen- 
tleman, a dealer in wood, at that time told me at 
the close of the war he had about ir'200,000 of it, and 
as Congress made no provision for its redemption I 
suppose he has it yet. But at the time of which I 
write there were few people who did not believe 
the war would be over in less than a year, with the 
independence of the South. 

We had quite a long line of coast and considerable 



HECOtiLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 11 

back territory to guard in that department, but very 
little fighting in the first year. One incident took 
place early in June that varied the monotony for a 
time. Early in May the company to which I be- 
longed had been posted at Pigs Point, at the mouth 
of the Nansemond River, and had constructed a 
battery, mounting several heavy guns. On June 5 
the steamer Harriet Lane approached within about 
one and one-fourth miles, and opened fire on us. 
The battery was in command of Catesby Jones of 
the Confederate Navy, who afterwards was second 
officer of the Merrimac, the famous iron clad. The 
men had been drilled by him, and among other ac- 
complishments they were taiaght to lie down to 
escape the fire of an en«my,and it was surprising to 
see them execute this movement. They would fall 
at a flash, seldom waiting for any command, hut 
sure to obey it promptly when given. The fight went 
on for about 20 minutes, and tho steamer withdrew 
with several wounded. This little affair was looked 
upon as quite a battle, and created siderable excite- 
ment in that vicinity, and in Norfolk and Portsmouth. 
As it was only 13 miles from from those two cities, 
the news soon reached them with various shades of 
truth; many were killed by common report, but as 
a matter of fact, no one was injured. But as we were 
soldiers of Portsmouth it was but natural that there 
would be some uneasiness felt by our friends. While 
there was no one hurt, I assure you that every man in 
that company, from the captain to the cook, became 



12 RECOLLECTIONS FROM I860 TO 1865. 

heroes in their own estimation, and all of tbem de- 
sired at once to go to town that they might show the 
people what a hero looked like. 

I have often in after years looked back on this event 
and smiled at the vanity of man, but as I write this 
memory also goes back to the past and deep feelings 
of sorrow rise up when I remember many a man, who 
was present on that occasion, now sleeping in bloody 
graves on far distant fields, who had become real 
heroes, and died amid the shock of battle, giving 
their lives for a cause that they believed to be right 
and just, and leaving a name and memory behind 
them that should be cherished and remembered with 
honor, as should the memories of all the soldiers of 
the South as long as the sun shines on this Southland 
of ours. The North has its pension list as a reminder 
of its glory, but the South has nothing but its honor 
and its graves, as a reminder of duty done, and may 
this and all future generations resolve to protect the 
one and cherish the memory of the other by contin- 
uing to scatter flowers on their graves. I thank G-od 
that the rising monuments of lasting granite and 
marble throughout tne South give evidence that the 
present generation will leave reminders for future 
generations that we did reverence and honor our dead, 
and may every old soldier teach his children and the 
rising youth that they should as a duty to themselves 
protect the honor and memory of their ancestors. 



CHAPTER II.— Battle of Manassas.— Its Effect 
in the Sottth.— Fight Between the 
Merritnac and Monitor. — Evacuation 
of Norfolk. — Seven Pines. 



"f- 



Memory goes back to the days of '61, and when I 
compare it to the later days of the war I smile at the 
pomp and splendor of our soldiers of that day; to 
see the officers with their new regulation coats of 
glittering gold lace it seemed that our Secretary of 
War was under the impression that gold lace and 
splendid uniforms would frighten the Yankees into 
submission, and close the war. At • this time a 
single officer had more gold lace on the sleeves of 
his coat than would in after daj^ have designated 
all the officers of a whole brigade, and I have no 
doubt that a second lieutenant with his gold lace felt 
himself or more importance and carried a greater 
weight of responsibility on his laced arms than did 
five brigadiers later on in the war. 

In this department, to many of the first volunteers 
at least, then stationed in and around the vicinity of 
Norfolk and among Huger's command, the life of a 
soldier was becoming irksome: they were getting tired 



14 RECOLLECTIONS PKOM 1860 TO 1865. 

of camp life and routine duty; the novelty had worn 
off, and many were looking for soft details and fur. 
loughs. At Manassas and around Roanoke Island, on 
the Carolina coast, things looked a little warrish, and 
gave hope to some of the men who joined for fighting 
and glory that possibly there might be some fighting 
and perchance some one hurt. 

"While in this state of unccrt^-inty and repose, the 
news of Beauregard's great victory at Manassas was 
received, and the soldiers and citizens concluded 
that the war was really over, and it would be only a 
matter of dividing the property satisfactorily. Some 
of our soldiers who wanted to fight were out of sorts 
and so far forgot their duties as to request to be sent 
to the seat of war, so that they might have a chance 
to join in the closing ceremonies. Thus event after 
event occurred, adding new features to the situation; 
we soon found out that the battle of Manassas had 
not closed the war, by a large majority, nor was there 
any immediate prospect of its close. Nearly a year 
had passed, aud the talk was of reenlistments for three 
years or the war. This department continued m 
inactivity, but was soon to be called to active duty. 
The Federals had been menacing Roanoke Island, on 
the coast of North Carolina, for some time, and not 
unexpectedly the news come that thej'- had captured 
it, and were therefore in rear of our position. Imme- 
diately there Avas hurry aud bustle; troops were hur- 
riedly sent to Sou4:h Mills, North Carolina, to check 
the advance of Bnrnside's march inland. 

The Third Georgia, the Fourth Georgia, and the 



15 RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 

First Louisiana were sent forward, and in a few days 
we received news of a fight betv/een the Third G-eor- 
gia and some troops commanded by G-eueral Reno, of 
the Federal army. The Federals were checked and 
retired. On the receipt of this news other bodies of 
troops, with some artillery, (Griines' Portsmouth 
Artillery) were sent forward to their support. Among 
these troops was the company to which I was at- 
tached; we arrived a day too late, or perhaps I would 
not be writing these recollections. It was at this 
place that I first saw any dead, killed iu action, and I 
must say that it did not make a very favorable im- 
pression on me as to the glories of war; in fact, it had 
just the opposite effect, and I found myself looking 
for a bookstore that I might buy a prayer book to 
fit myself for the situation. Fortunately I am here 
yet. 

While at South Mills I remembered that in the 
dingy little magistrate's office at this place I was mar- 
ried, but I had no desire that my funeral should be 
held in the same room. All of the troops centered 
there seemed to be ready aud anxious to get into 
trouble with somebody; as for me, I felt that I had 
always been a peaceable man, and could not see why 
our boys should be so desirous to go hunting around 
the country in the way they did looking for trouble. 
Still, I followed them to see what would come of it. 
My company was attached as a separate company to 
the First Louisiana, who were a devil-may-care set 
and with their marching songs aud general good humor 



16 KECOLLECTIONS FROM 18G0 TO 1865. 

we soon banished all fear of war and took things as 
we found them (not chickens). After a few days in 
this vicinity (where we first learned the real life of a 
soldier, which I found in after years was but a shal- 
low education, compared to the full course, that wo 
would learn later) the troops were soon recalled, as 
new developments were taking place in our depart- 
ment. The authorities had determined to evacuate 
this section, and as early as May 1, 1863, it was going 
on. We, of course, did not know it ; but about May 
8 it became aj^arent to all that we were to leave this 
region for a field of more activity and a better chance 
of getting killed. There was from the two cifies and 
the two counties about 5,000 men, whose homes were 
in the territory to be evacuated. These 5,000 men left 
their homes to the mercy of an invading foe, leaving 
their wives, mothers, sisters, and sweethearts, and in 
many cases unprovided for. In fact there were numer- 
ous cases where the soldier who was retreating from 
his home know not where his wife and family would 
get their next meal. All in that retreating army left 
behind loved ones that perhaps they would never meet 
again; but the sacrifice was willinoly made, and such 
acts and sacrifices were being done all through the 
South. 

Thus on the 10th day of May, 1862, the soldiers of 
this department were to become -soldiers in fact as 
well as in name. It so happened that the company 
to which I belonged was held back to destroy the 
stores of tobacco, &c., that could not be removed. 
Thus we were the last troops to leave town, and on 



BECOLLECTIONS PROM 1860 TO 1865. 17 

this occasion our exit was made amid the fire and 
smoke of the Gosport Navy- Yard. On tne first day 
of our service the same yard was fired by the Fed- 
erals to keep it from falling in our hands; and now 
the thing was reversed, and amid the flames and smoke 
we retired from the city with the Federals close in 
our rear. 

As an illustration of the Southern soldier showing 
that they were in earnest and sincere in the belief of 
the justness of their cause, not for any personal gain, 
nor for avarice, but they were moved by the most 
lofty principles, I would say that this company were 
all citizens of the town of Portsmouth ; that they all 
had mothers, sisters, wives, and sweethearts to leave 
behind. They had all opportunities to desert their 
colors and remain at home ; and yet out of 95 men 
there was but one to yield to the temptation. Such 
was the case throughout the entire South in the first 
days of the war. And let me add here, that the 
women of the South, in all cases, looked suffering, 
trials, and even insult in the face, and bid their hus- 
bands, fathers, brothers, and sweethearts go and do 
their duty to their States, separately and jointly, and 
in all cases of weakness they crushed back their tears, 
smothering the rising sobs, and with the heroic fire of 
the Southern women commanded the weak one to go 
or lose their respect and love for all future time ; and 
this heroic fire of the women of the South was stead- 
fast during the entire war and burns undimmed to- 
day. It is to them that we are indebted for the love 
of the survivors and the care of the graves of the 
dead. 



18 BECOLLECTIONS FKOM 1860 TO 1865. 

On the 10th of May Portsmouth, Korlblk, and the 
surroundinf? country occupied by Huger's troops was 
evacuated, and the troops assembled at SuflFolk, Va. 
During the night the Federals advanced by way of 
Ocean View and entered Norfolk, the city being sur- 
rendered by the mayor. During the night of the 10th 
Commodore Tatnall, commanding the ironclad Merri- 
mac, then known as the Virginia, abandoned and de- 
stroyed her, and her crew joined Huger's troops at 
Suffolk, Va. 

In this connection I will give my version of this 
fight of the 8th of March, 1862, between the frigates 
Cumberland and Congress and the Monitor, as seen by 
me, being stationed at Pig's Point at the time, about 
4 miles from Newport News. I had a very clear view 
of the engagement on both days; and as there has 
been claims made by Northern writers, and it seems 
that the people have generally believed that the Moni- 
toa gained a victory over the Merrimac, I shall give 
the statement just as it occurred, being, as I said, an 
eye witness of the affair. On the 8th day of March, 
1863, the Merrimac was seen from our battery slowly 
moving down near Craney Island, at the rate of about 
7 miles an hour, heading for Newport News, where at 
that time lay at anchor the frigates Cumberlaud, 24 
guns, being the heaviest in the United States Navy 
at that time, aud the Congress, 44 guns. The shore 
was dotted with white tents and numerous batteries. 
There seemed to be no fear, and the two frigates, as 
soon as they saw the queer looking monster coming, 



19 RECOLLECTIONS FBOM i860 TO 1765. 

began to get ready for action, and as soon as the Mer-' 
rimac was within range of their guns they opened on 
her with solid shot. In the meantime could be seen 
in the distance coming down the James River the Pat- 
rick Henry and the James River fleet. TheMerrimac 
seemed to pay no attention to the fire directed at her 
but steamed slowly on, as if nothing was going on* 
Passing the Congress she deliberately fired her broad, 
side guns and made direct for the Cumberland, lying 
at anchor about a mile up the river. On approaching 
her she opened with her bow gun, raking the decka 
of the Cumberland fore and aft, and then steamed 
directly for her, and forcing her iron prow into her, 
making a hole sufficiently large to cause the Cumber, 
land to fill rapidly. Then slowly backing off she 
l)assed on up the river, receiving the broadside of the 
frigate, with seemingly no hurt to the ironsides. This 
fire was delivered at very short range. She then 
turned and gave her attention to the Congress. That 
vessel had in the meantime, seeing the fate of the 
other vessel, slipped her cable and was trying to make 
her escape. And here let me pay a just tribute to gal" 
lantry. Although an enemy the officer commanding 
the Cumberland displayed as great a degree of bravery 
as it would be possible for any man, he must have 
seen the fate of his vessel, and yet he fought her as 
she was going under water. All honor to him and his 
crew.' While we regarded him and his crew as an 
enemy, we knew that these men were American sea. 
men, and in justice we must give them the credit due 
gallantry wherever displayed. 



SECOLLECTIONS PROM 1860 TO 1865. 2( 

Bei'ore the Congress could get out of the way she 
grouiideci on the shore, and the Merrimac sent shot 
and shell, raking her decks and doing horrible execu- 
tion. She soon ran up the white flag in token of sur- 
render. A small tender was sent alongside to take 
the prisoners of war ofl". The officers came on board 
and delivered their swords and requested to be allowed 
on their honors to relieve and assist their wounded. 
They were jDermitted to go, and notwithstanding the 
flag at her peak, the man on shore fired on the ten- 
der and wounded several of the men who were show- 
ing mercy to their comrades iu arms. Consequently 
the tender had to return, as they were in musket 
range of the shore, and several regiments of infantry 
and several batteries of artillery were firing on them. 

The Congress had grounded at a shallow point on 
the water, and the Merrimac could not get close to 
her; but she finally set fire to her with hot shot. In 
the meantime the Minnesota audthe St. Lawrence 
were coming up from Old Point to the assistance of 
their friends. The Minnesota grounded about three 
miles before reaching the Congress, but as the water 
was shallow the Merrimac could not get nearer than 
amile and a-half. From that distance she sent her 
shot and shell, doing considerable damage, so much 
in fact that the commander of the Minnesota was 
about to abandon and destroy her during the night, 
and if tlie Monitor had not arrived he would perhaps 
have done so. The tide made it necessary for the 
Merrimac to withdraw and defer her final work for 



21 KECOLiiECTlONS FROM 1360 TO 1865. 

the morrow, and about sundown she steamed for 
Sewell's Point. 

On Sunday, the 9th day of March, at about 9 
o'clock, the Merrimac came out from Sewell's Point 
to complete her work of the day before. Approach 
iiig the Minnesota, something moved out to meet her. 
It was an odd-looking concern, often compared to a 
raft with a cheese box on it, but it proved for its size 
quite formidable. This Ericson Monitor had been 
building in 'New York as an ofiset to the Merrimac, 
and had arrived in the Roads on Saturday night, 
after the close of this days' battle. These two mon- 
sters of naval destruction, new to the science of naval 
war, that would and did revolutionize the navies of 
the world; the monitor had the advantage of 
the larger vessel, being of lighter draft, about 
9 feet, while the Merrimac carried 32 feet of 
water. She was also shorter, and therefore could be 
handled quicker than the heavy vessel; the Monitor 
when pressed would run into shoal water, and thereby 
prevent the Merrimac from closing in with her. This 
running, circling fight continued for several hours 
without any seeming victory to either vessel; finally 
the commander of the Monitor was blinded by the 
concussion of a shot striking the pilot house, and the 
command devolved on the second officer, and the 
Monitor soon withdrew from the fight, and the Merri- 
mac also steamnd over to Sewell's Point, and the 
day's battle closed. The writer of this is of the 
opinion that had Commodore Buchanon not been 
disabled onthe first day there would have been more 



BECOLLECTIONS PEOM I860 TO 1865. 22 

loss of life and destruction of property than there was, 
not that Catesby Jones did not fight well, but his 
judgment was at fault in not ignoring the Monitor 
(after finding out her qualities) and destroy the 
wooden vessels. It was evident that these two ves" 
sels could not hurt each other to any extent. 

The writer of this saw the Merrimac in the dock 
at the Gosport Navy- Yard a few days after the fight, 
and as far as he could see there was very little dam- 
age done and she was soon ready to go down again 
which she did. She steamed over towards Fortress 
Monroe and ofi'ered fight to the Monitor, which she 
refused, and even when the Merrimac cut out two 
schooners - under her very nose, she positively re- 
fused to make any attempt to prevent her. Thus 
ended the career of this wonderful engine of war, 
and the world must give the South credit for con 
structing, from comparatively nothing, one of the 
most gigantic engines of destruction up to that date. 
The nations of the world were set to thinking, and 
perhaps the great loss of life on that occasion was 
a blessing in disguise, and saved many thousands of 
lives and much property, for by the revolution of 
modern warfare on the sea it perhaps has caused 
nations to go slow in declaring war. 

As I said, the troops of Huger assembled at Suf- 
folk, Va., and from this time on they, who had been 
in good quarters, vs^ith comparative ease and com- 
fort, with plenty to eat, were soon to see some of 
the real hardships and dangers of war, for in fact 



33 RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 

the war up to this time had not been felt, and it had 
really just began. This was the 11th of May, 1862 
From this point we proceeded to Petersburg and 
were organized into regiments and brigades, the 
whole comprising Huger's division. All of us were 
well clothed and fairly equipped. Soon we were 
ordered to Richmond , and on the last day of May, 
1862, we were to receive our first baptism of fire. 

It amuses me to-day to look back and see ourselves 
with our new clothes and hear the soldiers of Manas- 
sas and Williamsburg, who were lying on the road- 
side, and as we passed (as I thought insulting us) 
by telling us to come out of those clothes, and in- 
sinuating that we would be somewhat spattered by 
the morning ; and it was so. We did not have to 
wait until morning. By night we were as dirty or 
nearly so as the boys who had insulted us, and be- 
gan to look like old soldiers. I w«ll remember that 
march and the approach to the field of battle, which 
had commenced. 

I have often since been asked how a man felt when 
going into battle or on the eve of it. On this occa- 
sion, when I heard the clash of musketry and the 
roar of the artillery, with the screeching of shell, 
that I was not quite as anxious as some of the boys 
seemed to be to get there. We were halted on the 
road and ordered to load. The boys commenced to 
tighten their knapsacks and to be all hurry to go; 
but while I made up my mind to go I was in hopes 
that the Federals would all go away before I got 
there. In fact I did not have as much sympathj^ for 



RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1875. 24 

these fellows in front perhaps as I should have had , 
I was willing to pat them on the back at a distance 
and tell them to go in, but it seemed to me that I 
would rather be out of range ; but I went and found 
no one there but dead ones, and they were not dan- 
gerous. We got in the Federal camp (Casey's) just 
at sundown, and it was wonderful to see with what 
energy the boys gathered the spoils of the camp. 
They would load up with every kind of plunder, but 
still kept going from tent to tent; finding something 
thst suited them better, they would disgorge to 
make room for it, and sometimes circle around in 
the twilight and find the same thing twice^ ^ I recol 
lect that I wanted shoes, and had no desire for any- 
thing else. I soon found a pair of boots, a little too 
large, but they would do. In the latter days of the 
Confederacy they would have been worth about 
$400. During this time the fighting was going on, 
but not near us. It soon ceased, and all became 
quiet, and we slept in Casey 's Camp that night. The 
battle had resulted disastrously for the Federals. 
Johnson had gained quite a victory ; had driven 
back the left of McClellan's army some 2 miles, but 
had also met with considerable loss. To me it seemed 
wonderful how men could approach the Federal 
lines through the abatis, interwoven as it was, and 
not all be killed.'"^ In fact, after I saw more of war, 
I wondered how so many got out alive and unhurt. 
Early Sunday morning, June 1, we were still in 
Casey's camp, and the boys looking for more plun- 
der. It was about 8 o'clock, I think, when we were 



25 RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 

ordered forward to take a new position. There 
seemed to be no thought of Yanks in the front. We 
had no skirmishers out, and if the Yanks did they 
fell back quick J y ; but, be that as it may, we moved 
up to a country road, about 500 yards, and halted. 
Our old general had a very powerful voice and could 
be heard a long distance. He dressed the line ; 
all was still ; brought the troops to an order arms ; 
gave the command to fix bayonets, and his next 
command would have been to stack arms. At that 
moment Hooker's brigade opened fire, at 60 yards, 
with 4,000 muskets. (I afterwards learned it was 
Hooker's troops.) For new troops that was rather 
a surprise. (For old ones, too, as for that matter.) 
I don't know what anyone else thought ; but as for 
me I began to think that th t. world had come to an 
end, and that the splinters were coming that way. 
In fact I was dazed. I could not comprehend how 
it was that we were there and had not been informed 
that we were expected to find Yanks \ but such was 
the fact. I don't believe that from the general (who 
ought to have known) down to the private soldier 
that anyone thought that there was a Yank within 
3 miles (other than dead ones) at this stage of the 
war, and being new troops I need not tell old sol- 
diers what we did : We got back, of course. We 
fired some, but not long. After going back about 
300 yards we halted (that is, some of us), faced 
about, and moved to the front again (but not so fast 
as we came away a few momt nts before, and there 
was not so many of us). Some of the boys just at 



RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865T 26 

that time seemed to have urgent business in Rich- 
mond. It was said of a certain lieutenant, who was 
going to the rear at a pretty lively gait and his eyes 
were sticking out so as you might have knocked 
them off with a stick, when asked by a comrade 
where he was going in such a hurry, replied that he 
was going to Richmond to request Jeff Davis to put 
a stop to that murderous proceeding. It was more 
than probable that there were many others in that 
episode that felt just the same way, but kept it to 
themselves. 

All soldieis at one time or another have been put 
in action under just such circumstances as the above. 
At that time I felt sore and my pride was wounded 
at the action of my brigade ; but I soon learned that 
the circumstances made the soldiers, and in no case 
did the soldiers make the circumstances ; but that it 
was the duty of the officers to see that there was no 
surprises and thereby gain the confidence of the 
men, and when that was done the men would fight 
all right. 

While there was not a regiment in the service of 
the Confederate States but what could boast of its 
record, there were but few that had not on some 
occasion lost its head from some cause or force of 
its surroundings (at this time we know that there 
never was any better soldiers on the face of the earth 
than the soldiers of the South, no matter from what 
State they come ; and not only have the people of the 
South just cause to be proud of their soldierly quali- 
ties, their bravery, and endurance, but they were 



27 •recollections from 1860 to 1865. 

Americans, and the whole united country has an 
interest in them. ) 

There was not much fighting on the 1st day of 
June, only an hour oit so in the morning; and quiet 
settled over the field of blood, the losses on both 
sides had bee a severe. The fighting of the first day 
ha 1 been murderous, and both armies were learning 
to be veterans ; and the day would come when they 
would meet on greater fields of slaughter. 



CHAPTER III.— Incidents of camp life around 
Richttiofld. — Seven days* fight. — Enters 
Pope.— Cedar Mouti tain.— Second Man- 
asas.— Exit Pope. 



It is true that the battle of Seven Pines, while a 
success for the Confederates, the victory cost them 
dear ; but it had the effect of demonstrating to Mc- 
Clellanthat they vsrere in some strength and thereby 
giving time that Lee might be fully ready to act. 
Among the wounded in this battle was the com- 
mander. Gen. Joseph. E. Johnston. This made a 
vacant place for the time, and the position was given 
to Gen. Robert E. Lee, who at that time had not 
been prominent before the Southern masses, but was 
known to be a good officer and able engineer. He 
had resigned from the old Army of the United States 
to cast his lot with his State. His name was to be- 
come from this time one of the best known in his- 
tory. On June 3d the army fell back to its works 
near Richmond, and the usual routine of camp 
life began, which soldiers so much disliked ; but 
to the above duties were added the additional one 
of dodging bullets and shells, which was to me very 



KECOLLECTIONS PROM 1860 TO 1865. 29 

distasteful, to say the least. Camp life is tiresome 
to the soldier ; and yet it is not all a blank, as there 
is always some " all-life " fellow in each company 
that manages to keep with his pranks both himself 
and the rest in hot water ; and it is well that there 
are such dispositions. It drives dull care away and 
makes the life of a soldier endurable. 

My division at this time was in camp on the York 
River Railroad and in ran^e of a Federal battery, 
which caused us some trouble (that is, dodginj?). As 
an illustration, how careless men become in war this 
incident is cited. Just to our left was a regiment, 
and one of its men had picked up a shell, fired from 
the battery spoken of, that had not exploded. Pos- 
sibly he wanted it as a souvenir to send home. He 
passed our company going to his camp. We had seen 
the effect of them before, and one of the boys advised 
him that he had best put it down. But this man was 
one of the class that could not be either taught or ad- 
vised, and intimated that we had best mind our own 
business and that he would take care of that shell. 
It was one of the percuasion kind. He passed on with 
his shell. In about five minntes there was an explo- 
sion up his way. "He had monkeyed" with that 
shell and took himself to ''glory," and invited two of 
his companions to go with him. They went along, 
how willingly the writer can not say ; but they went, 
and deprived the Federals of the pleasure of shooting 
them at some future day. 

It was at this camp that Serijeant Murphy, by his 
emphatic decision of a point in question, distinguished 



<?0 BECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 

himself. At the battle of Seven Pines we had lost our 
color-sergeant, and the adjutant of the regiment tX- 
sired, with the consent of the colonel, to appoint one 
to fill his place. Our adjutant was one of those im- 
pulsive fellows, a good soldier, and earnest in all that 
he did. Sergeant Murphy was a tall, soldierly look- 
ing fellow, and the eyes of the adjutant naturally 
turned to him as the man, and, approaching him with 
the colors in his hand, he thrust the staff in the earth, 
and thus addressed Murphy: "Sergeant Murphy, 
will you take these colors and carry them to the 
death." Murphy, recollecting Seven Pines and how 
the other fellow had been shot, looked at the officer 
with a kind of wild stare, created by the word death, 
and replied : "Ko ; I'll be damned if I do." And the 
adjutant had to look further for a «oior-sergeant. 

For nearly a month the army, then commanded by 
Gen. Robert E. Lee, enjoyed this life of care and 
watchfulness. But the time was very near when they 
would assist in making more history and graves. 
During this month Lee had been planning to strike a 
blow that would surprise McClellan and astound the 
world. He was about to hurl his 80,000 men against 
the 110,000 men of the Federal Army, and say to 
them, "Go back, or be slaughtered where you are." 
Lee in this short month seemed to have learned the 
qualities of his men, and what they were capable of 
doing, and had no fear for the final result He be- 
lieved in them, and taught them to believe in him- 
He had struck the keynote, had gained the confi. 



RECOLLECTIONS PROM 1860 TO 1865. 81 

deuce of that army, and he held its love, its respect, 
and its very life-blood to the end. History does not 
tell that in any age there ever existed a commander 
who had the love, the confidence of his men, to the 
extent that did R. E. Lee. They followed him in 
blind obedience wherever he led, and cheered him as 
he passed, even in their death struggles; and Leo 
loved his men. 

It is a fact, in history, that not only Lee's men but 
generally all soldiers of the Confederate army gave 
this same confidence to their leaders, and fought with 
a courage and dash that no soldiers of the world ever 
surpassed. Jackson who, in the past few months 
had added new laurels to his name of Stonewall by 
his dash in the Valley, had driven Banks, Milroy, and 
Fremont out of the Valley, badly whipped ; had also 
caused the diversion of McDowell's army from Rich- 
mond, and was at liberty to obey the command of Lee 
to come to his assistance at Richmond ; and he had 
been rapidly but quietly approaching for three days. 
Lee had matured his plans, and on the 25th of June, 
Jackson having arrived, his troops were put in mo- 
tion, and in a few hours commenced one of the fiercest 
and most prolonged battles of modern times. For 
seven long days that section of country for 30 miles 
was to be made a scene of blood and carnage. Men 
were to grapple in their death struggles ; to fall and 
die in each others embrace. Nothing like it had been 
seen on this continent. Two hundred thousand 
American soldiers were to meet in mortat combat (at 
this time the Federal Army were mostly Americans j 



33 RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865 

the South had few but Americaus at any time), each 
side fully believino- that they were right, and on that 
field they were going (as on many others in after 
days) to teach the world what American soldier meant. 
June 25 Jackson was in motion for the right of the 
Federal Army — to place himself between them and 
their sui^jjlies. Early in the afternoon the troops 
were in position and the battle commenced, and amid 
the smoke and fire, the clash of musketry, and roar 
of artillery men rushed together like wild beasts, and 
fell and died unknown, to sink in the swamps of the 
Chickahominy. The Federal Army fought with des- 
perate courage. They received Lee's men on their 
bayonets ; but they could not stay, with all their cour- 
age and the tons of lead and iron missiles, the mad 
rush of Lee and Jackson ; and at night of the 25th of 
June McClellan saw that his only safety was in flight, 
and he bent all his energies to this end. History has 
told of this retreat, and called it "masterly;" and 
so it was. For seven days it was march and fight, 
night and day. Death marked every footstep of these 
two armies. Long lines of wounded were continually 
passing to the rear — v/ounded in all imaginary manner, 
with legs off, arms off, eyes out, and yet these men, 
as they passed, cheered their comrades as they ad- 
vanced to the front. It would be almost impossible 
to picture the scenes of havoc that was occurring all 
along this line. The troops of Georgia were beside 
the men of Texas. The men of North Carolina stood 
shoulder to shoulder with men of Alabama ; while 
Virginia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Caro- 



RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 33 

lina stood side by side and mingled their blood to- 
gether. The dead of each State lay close up to the 
Federal line. After six days' fighting the climax 
came at Malvern Hill, a natural fortress held by 50,000 
infantry and 100 guns. The scene on that July day 
was sublime. The rush of Lee's men on Malvern 
Heights surpassed anything that had been seen on 
this continent up to this time; Jackson, with Hill, 
Longstreet, Magruder, and Huger, dashed themselves 
to pieces against this impregnable fortress, and left 
their dead within the Federal lines. Such courage 
as was seen that day equaled Waterloo ; but the po- 
sition was impregnable, and night closed this scene 
of blood with McClellan stitl in possession of the hill ; 
but when morning came again he was in full retreat 
to the James River, and on July 2d he was hemmed 
in, crippled, and defeated, driven 30 miles, and with 
a loss of 25,000 of his best troops. 

We of the Confederate army had victory and the 
spoils of war to cheer us : but we also had to mourn 
the loss of many loved officers and comrades. In fact 
there was few companies in the vast army but what 
had lost some loved friend. 

About the 6th of July the army of Lee commenced 
to fall back to their works, near Richmond, to repair 
and rest for other trials, marches, and battles yet to 
come. The army lay quiet for several weeks, talking 
of i^eace and speculating on the chances of the war 
being over or near its close. Each soldier thought 
that the great defeat of the army of the Potomac 



H RECOLLECTIONS FllOM 1.860 TO 1865. 

would end the matter. The great idea was foreigii 
intervention, peace, and home. 

Notwithstanding the sadness created by the loss of 
comrades, we were seemingly joyous, and, like selfish 
human nature, forgot for the time the sorrow that 
was caused in the homes of the widows and orphans, 
both North and South, who would be waiting for the 
footsteps of those that would never come. 

Soldiers are not heathens ; but the life of danger 
seems to cause them soon to forget the past. They 
take no thought of the future, and nothing but the 
present lives with them ; and they make the most 
of it. 

After such hardships as we had passed through, the 
quiet of the camp was very acceptable and pleasant. 
Yet, while we were at rest, the "powers that be" at 
the heads of the two armies were busy planning com- 
plex movements for our amusement. Of course we 
soldiers knew nothing of this ; but wo found it out 
as we went along. It was probably well that we did 
not know of it at the time or there might have been 
more of us on the sick list. There are other kinds of 
sickness that soldiers have beside sea-sickness. Just 
before a battle weakness in the knees and various 
other kinds of weakness — sometimes a weakness to 
want to be anywhere but there. 

There was a man by the name of Pope, not much 
known to fame, who suddenly burst on the horizon 
of war. He had, it was said (in fact he said so 
himself), his headquarters where his hindquarters 
ought to have been, in the saddle. He also stated 



BECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 35 

confidentially that he was from the West, but did 
not say how long he was going to stay in that 
locality. Perhaps he" did not know at that time; he 
was not a well-read man ; nor did he consult either 
Banks, Milroy, or Fremont, which, had he have 
done, perhaps they would have informed him that 
there were a couple of men who came that way 
sometimes by the names of R. E. Lee and Stonewall 
Jackson, who might object to his lying around and 
cause him serious trouble, and without his consent 
direct his retirement. Pope soon found this to be 
the case. Lee seeing that the army of McClellan 
at Harrison's Landing was paralized, concluded to 
send Jackson to Culpepper Court-House to investi- 
gate Pope. Accordingly he gave the order, and the 
" Man of Destiny " moved forward. He s(-on found 
Pope scattered around the country, making war on 
the defenceless inhabitants of that section. He 
(Pope) was seemingly teaching a "School for 
Scandal;" in other words making thieves of his 
whole army by orders of Major-General John Pope. 
Jackson, you know, was a sort of churchman, and 
he objected ts this mode of procedure. His orders 
were liberal, and allowed him to act at his discre- 
tion. Falling in with his old commissary. Banks, 
Jackson concluded to tell him, and through him 
Pope, that this mode of plundering the people must 
stop. He put his army in motion, and the battle of 
Cedar Mountain was the result. Banks as usual 
sent that same old story to Pope that he could man- 
age this little affair by himself, as the rebels were 



.86 RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 

in full retre .t. This was at 4 o'clock p. m., August 
8, 1863. Almost before the courier had fairly started 
with his disfjatch Banks and his whole command 
was after him, and Jackson's men after them both. 
At sundown Banks was in full retreat through the 
cornfields, and Jackson had quiet possession of the 
corn and many other little things, such as artillery, 
muskets, baggage, and prisoners of war. There was 
the usual pow-wow. Pope said it was Banks, and 
Banks said it was Pope. But "it was so, all the 
same." Jackson quietly withdrew next day, and 
gave Pope a chance to send dispatches to Washing- 
ton, as suited the occasion. 

■'In the meantime Lee was coming up with his old 
veterans. For, be it known that all of his troops 
could jusily be designated as such, it was not long 
after this that the word ragged was added, making 
them Lee's ragged veterans, "of whom Lee re- 
marked that he never was ashamed of when fight- 
ing." This march is well remembered by tlie writer. 
The weather was very hot, the m:^rchiDg and count er- 
marchin-T: was rapid, and the troops suffered greatly, 
many falling by the roadside in utter exhaustion- 
many perhaps never to be heard of again. 

To the old soldiers I need not tell of these hard- 
ships and sufferings of l he troops ; and if it were 
possible for me to describe it as it w:^s to the rising 
general ion,^t hey would perhaps look on it as a pic- 
ture of ihe imagination. (But it is for the youth 
that we of that day should wri^e and relate, that 
they may le irn what the sufferings of the men of 



RECOLLECTIONS PROM 1860 TO 1865. Zi 

that day were and learn the value of a faithful ad- 
herance to what they believe, as we believed, to be 
right. I will not raise the question here, nor do I 
desire to raise it at all, or to brin^ any argument in 
this book to prove one way or the other, but I do 
not hesitate to say, without any attempt to justify or 
excuse, that we, the Southern people of that day, 
did fully believe in the rightousness of our cause-; 
and as proof of this assertion see our 300,000 graves, 
our thousands of wido^YS and orphans, and at the 
close of the war our impoverished homes ; but even 
better proof exists than even that. See the surviv- 
ors, in all honor, submitting quietly to the arbitra- 
ment of war, to which they had submitted their 
cause, teaching their youtli to become good citizens 
of thisuni'ed country, neither casting or desiring to 
cast from the close of the war to the present time 
any impediment to its growth or glory, but by their 
efforts assisting in both. Let all the people of this 
vast country look at these facts, and say whether 
the people of the South were not earnest in their be- 
lief that they were right. ) 

Lee having arrived with the balance of his army 
the game of war commenced between him and Pope. 
(The army was at this time divided in right and left 
wings, Jackson commanding the left and Longstreet 
tho right.) It seemed to be the intention of Lee to 
make t'nis campaign short and sharp. McClellan 
had been quietly beheaded , and his army was being 
forwarded to Pope by sea. It was Lee's desire to 
do Pope up, and retire him before the men from 



38 RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 

Harrisons Landing should arrive to his support*. To 
this end he gave his energies. About August 5 he 
conceived the bold plan of sending Jackson to the 
right and rear of Pope's army — that is, between 
Pope and Washington — while Longstreet should 
amuse him in front on the Rappahannock River. 
Jackson moved by quick marches, passing Manas- 
sas, and destroying vast quantities of stores. It was 
at this point, where vast quantities of sutler's stores 
were destroyed, that was seen the most novel sight 
that perhaps was ever seen before in an army. 
These stores, of course, were intended for the Fed- 
eral soldiers, and composed all kinds of delicacies. 
The men of Jackson nere told to help themselves, 
and then were seen men, 6 feet tall, ragged, acting 
like school boys, with a stick of candy in one hand 
and a pickle in the other, a laughing, howling, f rolic- 
ing set, who a few days before had been living on 
green corn, were feasting on sardines and wine and 
other delicacies. But time was of the greatest im- 
portance, and with sorrow, and their haversacks 
full, they had to leave much to the flames. Of 
course the Yankee sutlers lost nothing by this de- 
struction; they simply charged double price to the 
Yanks until the price was made up. 

About the 28th Jackson was well posted, but Pope 
was between him and his friends, and as usual he 
telegraphed to Washington that he had Jackson 
bagged and would soon commence to tie the bag up. 
He sent orders to his different commanders how 
to move and when to commence tieing the bag. 



RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 39 

They moved, and like the Irishman's flea, Jackson 
was not there. 

Longstreet in the meantime was hurryinj? up by 
forced marches, night and day; he pressed forward, 
and ere Pope was aware of it he was deploying on 
Jackson's right. 

History tells how Pope attacked Jackson under 
the impression that he (Jackson) was in full retreat; 
how he told the Washington people that the awful 
bugbear, Stonewall, was gone up; history will also 
tell you how, on the 80th of August, the bag of 
Jackson burst asunder, and its fragments were 
scattered from Manassas to Washington with a 
pretty good slice on its way to Richmond as prison- 
ers of wai . It will also tell that the head of Pope 
that day fell in the basket along with them that had 
gone before, and that in two short months the Man 
of the West, with his headquarters in the saddle, 
vanished from view and was placed among the 
things'^ that might have been." Thus ended the 
fame and glory of Pope; his name has never been 
mentioned in that locality since. Thus closed the 
battle of Manassas and the career of Pope in the 
Army of the Potomac. 



CHAPTER IV —" Maryland, My Maryland/'— 
Harper's Ferry. — Lee's Strength at 
Sharpsburg. — Over the River Again. — 
Bunker Hill Camp.— Incidents of the 
Campaign. 



Pope had disappeared from the scene, but still the 
war went on; it seemed that with every disaster the 
North grew stronger, but in the present dilemma it 
was necessary that the powers at Washington should 
move quick, as the body of McClellan was not quite 
dead, although it had been beheaded. The powers at 
Washington, includin<? War, Navy, and even the 
Fish Commission, called loudly to awaken him, Mac, 
back to life, that he might again place himself at the 
head of the dispirited Army of the Potomac, and 
make some effort to stay the victorious march of Lee. 

September 3 found Lee and his victorious army on 
his way to the Potomac with little opposition, with 
the intention of crossing into " Maryland, My Mary- 
land." His aim seemed to be to read the riot act to 
the United States Government, and to invite the peo- 
ple of that State to accept the freedom that it was 
said had been denied them by the Federal authori- 
ties. While in Baltimore and eastern Maryland there 
were thousands who favored the Southern cause, and 
would have welcomed Lee and his army, yet in this 



41 EECOLLECTIONS FROM I860 TO 1865. 

section there were few to respond to Lee's invitation. 
As an instance of the feeling of the people of Balti- 
more, I relate one circumstance that occurred to my- 
self. In 1863 I was captured at Gettysburg, Pennsyl 
vania, in the battle of the third day, in the charge of 
Pickett's division I was carried to Baltimore in a box 
car, with many others; we were delayed just outside 
the city limits for three or four hours; it was July 5, 
and the sun was extremely hot. The battle of Get- 
tysburg had just been fought, and my wife being 
within the Federal lines, I knew that she would get 
the report, and naturally suffer great anxiety, know- 
ing that I wa.s in the division of Pickett, which had 
been so badly cut up. Therefore I was desirous of 
getting word to her as soon as possible, and knowing 
that Baltimore contained many that sympathized 
with us, I resolved to make the attempt to get word 
to her. Standing as near to the cars as the guards 
would permit were two young ladies, about 20 years 
of age; they seemed to take great interest in us, and 
looked symi)athetic. 1 procured a piece of paper and 
pencil, and wrote on it my name and the address of 
my wife, requesting that she be informed that her 
husband was well and unhurt. As the guards were 
going from me, having rolled the paper up, I threw it 
at the feet of the young ladies; they seemed to know 
my desire; and one of them immediately put her foot 
on it and looked at me, and I knew from the look my 
wife would hear of me. She dared not pick it up, but 
with the patience and fortitude of a martyr she stood 
for over two hours in that July sun, until the train 



42 KECOLLECTtONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 

moved off, and in a day or two my wife received an 
unsigned letter from Baltimore, stating that the writer 
had seen her husband as a prisoner of war, and he 
was well. I have blessed that lady from that day, and 
classed her as near the angels as any mortal ever can 
get in this world. 

There were, as I said, thousands of glorious women 
and men in Baltimore and eastern Maryland, yet Lee's 
manifesto of peace and freedom fell flat on the peo- ' 
pie of western Maryland, and the thousands that 
we had expected to get dwindled down to perhaps 
one company. However, we were in Maryland, feed- 
ing on green ct)rn. The army of Lee had turned to 
horses as far as feed went; we had our regular six 
ears to the man (or horse, as you please) [fact]. 

History records the lost order of Lee, and hov/ by 
that means McClellan was enabled to press so closely 
on Lee. At Frederick, Maryland, the army was di- 
vided from its purpose of capturing Harper's 
Ferry. 

My division, R. H. Anderson's, was with McLaw's 
command in the Pleasant Valley, and on Maryland 
Heights, with Jackson on the Virginia side, and Con- 
federates on London Heights. The officer command- 
ing Harper's Ferry made very little resistance, and 
the place fell with 11,000 prisoners, 73 guns, vast 
quantities of stores, munitions of war, wagons, etc. 

Then came tbe race for Sharpsburg, where Lee was 
with the remnant of his army, and the near approach 
of the Federal army made it look serious. The race- 
horse speed of Jackson brought him to Lee on Sep- 



RECOLLECTIONS FEOM 1860 TO 1875. 43 ' 

teniber 16, and somewhat altered things; but Lee, 
with his depleted army of not more than 25.000 men 
was far from safe, in the face of 90,000 Federal troops 
under McClellau, whose head been replaced upon his 
body for this occasion only. Poor Mac; your lot was 
hard. While there were no full generals killed in 
action on the Federal side, there were numbers of 
them buried in oblivion; nearly every battle, at the 
beginning of the war, was sore death to its com 
mander; that is, he was relieved from further ser- 
vice. 

The battles as the war progressed seemed to in- 
crease in violence, and each one was more severe 
than the preceding one, so at Sharpburg this rule 
was followed, and this battle proved to be one of 
the bloodiest fought up to that time. The odds were 
fearfully in favor of the Federals, being at some 
points as many as ten to one, and the aveiage three 
to one during the entire action. The estimate of 
Lee's force was taken from the morning reijort of 
the 16th, and it is no criterion to judge his strength 
on the 17th. At that time I was orderly sergeant of 
Coropany G, Ninth Virginia Infantry. My report 
> f September 16 showed 40 men for duty. When 
going into action on the 17th I commanded the com- 
pany" .'is sergeant, and had only six men. This is 
■ •nViy ricjcounted for. My brigade made anight 
c:^. from Harper's Ferry, and halted at midnight 
... V ' - . ■ hour; soon an order came urging us forward, 
I .. ' he men had fallen asleep and did not wake; at 
I ^T\;o-thirds of the brigade were left in the 



44 RECOLLECTIONS FROM I860 TO 1865. 

woods; some will say that these men were shirkers; 
it was not so; these men were but human, and their 
endurance had reached its limit. All these men, 
with few exceptions, were soldiers that could be 
depended on in any emergency, and they came up 
as soon as they could. 

Lee's army was in better condition on the 18th 
than it was on the 17th, even allowing for the loss, 
according to my observation. It is not necessary to 
go into history as regards this battle; the accoui.t is 
short; Lee, with his army of not more than 80,000 
men, repulsed the attacks of McClellan's 90,000 men, 
held the field until night of the 18th, and then 
quietly withdrew his force across the river without 
the loss of a single gun. Early that morning I saw 
Lee and Jackson in the middle of the Potomac, 
sitting quietly on their horses, watching the last of 
their troops pass over. 

The Army of Northern Virginia had on these Sep- 
tember days added glory to its name, and was more 
closely cemented together by the blood of its com- 
rades, and if possible had learned to love Lee and 
Jackson, and their immediate commanders, better 
than ever. 

There is one incident of this battle that attracted 
my attention. During the 17th it became necesoary 
to move our brigade by the left flank, and the fire 
of shot and shell was very heavy and dangerous, 
Jackson was sitting on his horse just in rear of us. 
Our general had been wounded, and Colonel Hodges, 
of the Fourteenth Virginia Regiment, was coni- 



RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 45 

manding. We were moving in common time; Jack- 
son, seeing the danger to which it was exposed, told 
the colonel to move in double quick time out of dan- 
ger. This incident only goes to show how thought- 
ful Jackson was in small things, and how careful he 
was of his men, when it was possible, and yet when 
fighting was necessary he was all fire, and life for 
the time being amounted to very little. With him war 
meant fight, and fight meant kill, and that was the 
secret of his success, combined with his race-horse 
speed of movements, The men of our army were 
as a general rule as true as steel; but there were 
exceptions, as in the case that I shall relate. When 
crossing jbhe Potomac, going to the field, one of the 
men, who was accustomed to being in the rear when 
a fight was in progress, and at the same time have a 
plausible excuse for it, was on this occasion, as he 
said, nearly caught. He had crossed the canal, and 
to save his shoes had taken them off. He had no 
idea of a fight at this point ; but while washing his 
feet, preparatory to putting on his shoes, a gun in 
front gave notice of something wrong [^oing on. He 
listened intently for further evidence of the situa- 
tion, and hearing several guns in quick succession 
he deliberately threw his shoes in the canal, with 
the expression (alluding to the shoes), you came 
very near getting me in trouble this time, and re- 
tired to the rear, giving as an excuse no shoes. To 
the reverse of this I have seen on the line of battle 
men barefooted, with feet bleeding, facing death 
in all forms of horror, and pleading no excuse to 



46 RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 

escape from what they felt to be their duty. There 
is no place better than a field of battle to test the 
higher qualities and the nobility of man. 

My division (R. H. Anderson's) was the rear guard 
on this occasion, and my regime at was left on the 
river as a picket line, and w^e suffered for want oi 
something to eat. Rations were furnished us at 
Harper's Ferry on the 16th, and not much then. 

It was r,ow the 18th, and nothing had been fur- 
nished since ; nor did we get any until the 19th. I 
did not eat anything for at least forty-eight hours. 
You may not possibly know how it feels to go that 
long, and to be marching ni^ht and day; I assure 
you that a man is not in the best of spirits. Such 
was the case often in the Confederate army at this 
date, and in the latter days it was a general thing, 
with only an occasional exception, to prove the 
rule. 

On the niftht of the 18th of September, as I said, 
Lee crossed the river, back to Virginia. When go- 
ing over the river the boys were singing ''"Mary- 
land, my Maryland." Bnt all was quiet on that 
point when we came back. Occasionally some fel- 
low would strike that tune, and you would then 
hear tiie echo, '' Damn My Maryland. " All seemed 
to be dis usted with that part of Maryland. 

The army continued ito March to Bunker Hill, 
near Winchester. Grand old Winchester, who's his- 
tory in the past stood out in littering bri ,htness 
and honor, was by the action of her people, their 
fortitude, patience, and sufferin ;, to add new j^lory, 



RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 47 

if possible, to that history ; and to-day their enemies 
of that day, after cool reflection, and remem- 
bering the days of '76, must give them credit for 
their firm adherence to principles that are truly 
American and ori.^inated in America. 

These people of the Sonth were descendants of 
some of the greatest heroes and most learned men 
of our country. The blood of the heroes of the 
Alamo, "who had no messenger of defeat," flowed 
through their veins, and while in the heat of pas- 
sion, while blinded by political dissensions and 
demarvogisvi, there was some excnse for con- 
demnation. To-day there should be nothin- but 
praise when we hold up as examples of American 
manhood the soldiers of both North and South as 
an illustration to the world of what America is, a ad 
the South, with the North, should at least siiare 
some of the glory attached to the name of America. 

Let the North and the South have their own iDnvate 
opinions as to past days ; but let the soldiers of both 
armies now living resolve that they will not them- 
selves, nor will they permit politicians to, make capi- 
tal for themselves by causing discord between the 
men of both armies, who, by their heroism, the 
dauntless bravery of the living, and the graves oi the 
dead, have taught the world to keep their hands oft' 
American affairs. 

Here at Bunker Hill we rested for some time from 
marches and battles. Cold weather was approach- 
ing, and many of the jinen were poorly clad and num- 
bers without shoes ; but we were getting used to that. 



48 KECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 

damp life is uot good for soldiers. It gives him time 
to think of home, and in our case sad thoughts would 
arise when we looked back to home and loved ones, 
and knew, while our sufferings were great to feel, 
that those we loved were, perchance, suffering more 
than we. 

It is true that the Southern women sent cheerful 
messages to camp when in many cases their hearts 
were filled with sadness. It is no wonder that the 
women of the South of that day were looked on as 
very near the angels by all of the Southern soldiers. 

It was at this camp that my first attempt was made 
as a poet. I shall ever recollect that night of Ko- 
vember, with the howling blast of early winter pass- 
ing thruogh the trees, with men sleeping around on 
the bare earth, with nothing to shelter them or to 
cover with. There, sitting over a smoking fire, with 
thoughts of home, and, rubbing my eyes, smarting 
from the smoke of the fire, I have often, in after 
yearSj in thinking of that night, wondered how it v^^as 
even possible for my thoughts to run in a poetical 
channel ; but they did, and the following is what 
was produced, on brown j)aper and by the light of 
the fire, as near as I can reccollect at this time. It 
has not been altered in any manner. I gave it the 
title of ''Face the Foe Again," and dedicated it to 
Bunker Hill ; but I little dreamed at that time that I 
would ever print it : 



RECOLLECTIONS FROM 18G0 TO 1865. 49 

Face the Foe Again. 



T'was night, and wintei* winds blew keen 
O'er the soldiers lonely bed ; 
And the sentry walked his lonely post, 
His thoughts to home had fled. 
Fond recollections to them from his soul, 
Before sleep ; his eyes have closed, 
And from dreams to reality he wakes 
Again to face his foes. 

The drnm sounds out its dreadful notes, 
Which float upon the air, 
And wakes him from his lonely sleep 
And tells him danger's near. 
He wakes again to hear that word : 
"Turnout!" "turnout!" "fall in!" 
And duty tells him he must go 
To face the foe again. 

Yes ! face the foe, which oft he's done, 
And never yet knew fear, 
For which at first he left his home 
And all that he held dear. 
A sacrifice which he had made, 
And had not made in vain. 
To strike for them a vengeful blow 
And face the foe again. 

Our duty to our country done 
We' 11 fly to those we love, 
Who now sit waiting our return. 
And trusting God above 
For a safe return of their gallant brave, 
Whose trials are almost o'er, 
His country's liberty he has won 
And he strikes at the foe no more. 



50 RECOLLECTIOKS FROM 1300 TO 1865. 

We soon fitted a tune to these lines and sung them 
at our camp-tires at night to drive dull caro away. 
The reader may judge from the last few lines of this 
poetical "delusion" that the writer at that time 
thought that things looked bright for peace. In fact 
it was whih2 at this camp that various rumors of rec- 
ognition by France, England, and other powers began 
to look to us as truth, and such talk would send our 
spirits up, only to fall again. But up to this time 
there was really no despondency among the men in the 
army. There were some few that were ahvays croak- 
ing, but not a great many. 

About this time I met a man from my town that I 
had not seen for years, and his words were prophetic. 
He was in a Texas regiment, and he having left home 
several years prior to the war I was glad to meet him, 
and among other things I asked him what he thought 
of the war. He said that it was his opinion that in 
two years we would be down on the "G-ulf of Mexico, 
with the seat of our jjants out (mine were out then), 
fishing for our breakfast with a pin-hook." I said, 
"I guess not ; " but he was near right ; for in about 
two years many of us were not only fishing for our 
own breakfast, but without even bait on the hook. 
Which all goes to prove that the Americans aic a 
great people, and as shown by the people of tlio Soutli 



RECOLLECTIONS FllOM 1860 TO 1865. 51 

and its progress that tlicy will get there, bait or no 
bait, iDants or iio pants ; and it teaches also a lesso^ 
to all foreign powers at this late day that even with 
a small Navy and no fortifications for harbor defense 
that we would be a bad people to catch even with our 
"pants down,'' so to speak. 



CHAPTER V — Retirement of McClellan.- 
BMrnside in Commatid.— From Buiiker 
Hiil to Fredericksburg. — Battle o1 
Fredericksburg. — Fighting Joe Hooker 
— Chanceilorsville. — Death of Jackson" 



While Lee's army was quiet at Bunker Hill, recruit 
ing in numbers and gaining in bodily strength after 
the severe campaign of the summer, the powers at 
Washington were urging McClellan on, to raise cane 
with Uncle Bob Lee ; but they could not get him to 
go. Lee was not only at Bunker Hill, but he was on 
his own "dung hill ;" and Mac knew it, and knew he 
would spur, as he had been there before. Finally the 
Federal Army commenced to slide down toward 
Fredericksburg in a kind of half-hearted way, alto- 
gether too slow for Stanton, and off went the head of 
McClellan, and that was the end of him. He retired 
to New Jersey, and became a looker-on. 

Burnside, the man that gave tholiame to the v/his- 
kers, was appointed to fill his place. He told these 
folks at Washington the plain truth : That he could 
not lick Bob Lee's army ; but they would not believQ 



RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 53 

him, and patted him on the back, aud told him "to 
go in;" hurried him forward to Fredericksburg, 
thinking that he would be there before Lee. It was 
no go. As usual there was someone there to receive 
him, dei3Utized by Lee for that purpose, with the 
usual instructions to give the gentlemen a very warm 
reception, if he desired to visit the old town, and in- 
form him that he must first get a permit from K. E. 
Lee. 

"It was told that Mr. Lincoln, on being applied to 
for a pass to go to Richmond, told the applicant that 
a pass from him would do no good, as he had given 
to McClellan and about 200,000 men just such a pass 
to go to Richmond, and that those people down near 
Richmond either could not read or paid no attention 
to it, as it had been nearly two years, and'they had 
not got there yet." 

In the meantime Lee, with the remainder of his 
army, was quietly coming southward to assist in the 
reception to be accorded the visitors at Fredericks- 
burg. ^^ 

That march from Bunker Hill to Culpepper Court- 
House will be long remembered by the men of the 
Army of ISTorthern Virginia, or that part of it to which 
I was attached at that time — R. H. Anderson's divi- 
sion. "We were poorly clad, and in ray company, out 
of about 57 men, we had 17 without shoes. (I was 
orderly-sergeant at that time and made the report as 
to the numberc) It was in November, and very cold 
for that month, I remember when we forded thq 



54 RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 

ShenandDali River that the ice was one-half inch 
thick. At Culpepper the shoeless men got shoes. 
They were made from the green hides of the cattle 
killed for food, sewed up with thongs or strips cut 
from the hide, the hair-side being inside, next to the 
foot. These moccasons, or whatever you may call 
them, were about 16 inches long, and the beef 
were on them. The men put them on while green, 
and in a few days they dried, and there was no get- 
ting them off without cutting them. It was lucky 
that there were no dogs in camp or they would have 
given us trouble. We were bad off in the clothing 
line. 

I a*-*, fully satisfied that were I to appear on any 
srage to-day clad as I was at that time, including 
those shoes of hide, that I would be a drawing card 
for the show. (These are facts, not colored.) 

We contmued our march in a few days to Freder- 
icksburg, and arrived there about the 4th of Decem- 
ber, 1862. Soon after our arrival the surrender of 
Fredericksburg was demanded by Burnside. . Tiiat 
request could not be granted just then, and he was 
quietly so informed. 

While Burnside was waiting for his pontoons, Lee 
was assembling his host on the hills back of the old 
town, and early in December all were up and waiting 
the visit of our friends over the river. It was deter- 
mined by Lee and his generals, with the assistance of 
his old army, when they did come over to tender them 
the hospitalities of tjie State of Virginia in a manner 



RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 55 

becoming the occasion, and to make that reception 
as warm as possible. In a few days the demand was 
again made for the surrender of the town ; but L^e 
said no ; but if it would be any accommodation he 
would request the people of Fredericksburg to vacate 
for a short time. Which he did. This was Decem- 
ber, cold and bleak. 

Reader, do you wonder, when the Southern sold- 
iers saw the women and children tramping from their 
homes at that inclement season, and camping in the 
woods without shelter, I say, do you wonder that 
every soldier in that army made a vow that such 
treatment should be avenged. Let history tell how 
fearfully it was kept. 

On the morning of December 11, 1862, about 3:30 
a. m., I was up. I had some early cooking to do. 
There was but one utensil for that purpose in our 
company ; and one of the boys had the evening before 
became possessed of some corn- meal and had given 
me some of it. Under the early-bird rule that got 
the worm, I concluded that the early soldier would 
get the skillet, and therefore got his meal cooked 
first, and I was the only one that got my meal cooked 
that morning. Just as I had finished cooking it a 
Whitworth gUn from Lee's hill sent a sound forth 
that intimated to me, as orderly-sergeant, that I had 
better form my company. I soon had the company 
astir and in line. That gun told Lee's army that 
Burn side was crossing the river, and the people of 
Fredericskburg were to be avenged. Yes ; the peo- 



56 RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 

pie of Fredericksburg were to be avenged ! and ond 
of the most bloody repulses was to be inflicted 
on Burnside's troops that had occurred during the 
war. 

I shall merely glance at this battle, giving such 
statements as I was an eye-witness to, or such as was 
well authenticated by other persons who saw it in 
other parts of the field. During the 11th Lee quietly 
began placing his troops in line of battle. There 
seemed to be no hurry or confusion. There was a 
place for all, and the troops were slowly marched to 
^heir places. 

I remember tbat our division marched very slowly, 
and did not get on the line until night. Probably this 
was done to conceal our movements. I presume it 
was, as we could have been in position in two hours, 
if necessary. Burnside maae the attempt to lay his 
pontoons early in the morning of the 11th, but was 
prevented by the sharpshooters of Barksdale's Misis- 
sipians, which so enraged him that he opened his ar- 
tillery on the town and caused great destruction of 
property by fire, but very little loss of life. After 
several hours of this artillery fire he matfe another at- 
tempt to lay his bridges ; but the Mississippians were 
still there. He finally sent, in boats, a large force, 
and Barksdale fell back by Lee's orders, as the pur- 
pose was only to delay Burnside until Lee was ready. 
It never was the intention of Lee to prevent them 
from crossing. All day of the 11th and 12th the 



RECOLLECTIONS PROM 1860 TO 1865. 57 

Federal Army was getting Bver the river, and Lee 
was quietly awaiting on the hills his advance. 

About 9 o'clock on the morning of the 13th we 
knew that the battle would soon commence, and one 
hour later it was in full fury. It happened that my 
regiment was sent out as a picket line, just to the 
left of JacksoB, and as we were not engaged I had a 
full view of the Federal lines as they advanced to at- 
tack Jackson's lines at Hamiltons Crossing. It was 
Meade's division that led the advance, and I must say 
that the troops moved forward in splendid order and 
stood the fire well. They advanced well up, and it 
was horrible to see the slaughter. One line would 
melt away and another take its place to meet the same 
fate until five lines had been cut to pieces. For about 
one hour the slaughter went on, and then Meade 
withdrew near the river. These men had no chance 
of success from the beginning, and it looked like 
murder to send them in there. With the falling back 
of Meade the fighting ceased on this part of the line 
(the right). I did not see the fighting on the left ; 
but history tells us it was even worse.' At Maryes 
Heights it was bloody. I saw a man coming out from 
that point. He said that he had looked at the dead 
until he was sick, and I think he told what was so, as 
he stated that there v/as no danger where he was, and 
he simply was tired of killing men (sharpshooter). 
There had not been more than one-third of Lee's 
army engaged, and his losses were amall compared 
to Burnsides, about 3,000, while Burnside's (officially) 



58 recolIjECTions from 1860 to 1805. 

was 12,000. Thus the people of Fredericksburg ware 
fearfully avenged. 

The people of Washington now believed what Burn- 
side told them : That he could not whip Lee. But it 
cost them 12,000 killed and wound ec" be convinced 
of what he had said when appointea. irnside re- 
tired across the river, and the powers at Washington 
soon retired him from command of the army. 

Lee's army went in winter quarters. Around in 
this section where we rested for the winter — my divi- 
sion was near Guinea Station on the Richmond and 
Fredericksburg Railroad — nothing to do to keep my 
miud employed, I was again struck with the idea 
that I was a poet, and laboring under that delusion 
I managed to produce the following doggerel, which 
we used to sing to the tune of Caroline of Edinburg- 
town. Some of the old people recollect that song, 
and if they think they can sing I have no objection 
that they should try the following. It is copyrighted; 
but if the words don't kill them and their neigh- 
bors, I have no objection to the use of it, provided 
I am not held liable if any damage should occur : 

Tl)€ Bailie of Fredepiel5sl)(ipg. 



It was on the 11th of December 
The cannon's fiercest roar 
The quiet of the doomed city broke ; 
The streets ran red with gore, 



RECOLLECTIONS FKOM 1860 TO 1865. 59 

Wiien Burnsiilo, with his mighty host 
In battle's drciid array, 
Advanced and drove our pickets in, 
And thus began the fray. 

J : troops amid the hills had seen 
And their hearts were filled with pity 
For the many sacrifices made 
By those of the doomed city. 
The roadside marked the winding path 
Of the feeble and slender form, 
And the woods the only shelter 
From December's wintry storm. 

Longstreet's veteran corps was there, 

Likewise Hill's command, 

And by the side of Jackson 

They did resolve to stand, 

And there repeat again the deeds 

They had done on fields before 

And cause the plains of Fredericksburg 

To run red with Yankee gore. 

Meagher's famous Irish Brigade, 
The Northern boast and pride, 
Was met by Southern lead and steel 
And dauntless valor tried. 
It Tfas hurled back in confusion, 
And the sacred soil made red, 
While his wounded moaned in agony 
And countless were his dead. 



60 RECOLLECTIONS FROM i860 TO 1865. 

Night closing in upon tlie scene 
Of fearful carnage done, 
Our boys sat thinking over their loss 
And the glorious victory won, 
And giving thanks to God above, 
Who to them that day gave » 

A glorious victory to the South 
And many a Yankee grave. 

Thus runs the thoughts of the soldier after a bat- 
tle—grief for the comrades gone and thanks for a 
victory gained ; and yet both grief and thanks are 
soon forgotten in his own trials and sufferings. 

General Burnside gave us very little trouble the 
balance of the winter, except making us move out 
of camp on the 9t'i of January, to meet what is 
known as the mud march in history. It did not 
amount to much, only to put his ov^ and our troops 
to inconvenience and cause a great deal of profane 
languige among the men. While the winter was 
hard iT did not cause Lee's army much suffering. 
We pssed the time in quarters, or holes in the 
ground, huts, and such other shelter as we could 
provide. 

Two of Longstreet's division (Hood's and Pick- 
ett's) were sent to Suffolk after meat early in March, 
and not only succeeded in getting considerable meat, 
but drew quite a large number of troops to that 
point to prevent us from taking possession of Nor- 
folk. I was in Pickett's division at this time, and 



Recollections from 1860 to 1865. (U 

we had quite a number of men belongino; 'o that 
section of country, ail near our homes ; and here 
was again tested the manhood of our boya. They 
had been away from home for a year, and were in 
a position to leave the army and go home. The 
temptation was great ; yet there were no desertions. 
Every man did his duty ; and nhen, on the 3d of 
May, we withdrew from that point, the honor of 
each man had been tested, and each had proved his 
manhood. V/hile I was at Suffolk the battle of 
Chancellors ville was fought. After the failure of 
Burnside at Fredericlisburg his head soon fell in the 
basket as commander of ihe army, and ^^igh in^ 
Joe Hooker was appointed to the command. _^ ^ 

I feared Hooker. I had considered the idea that \ 
he would do some damage, and from his manifesto j 
to his army in the latter part of April it looked as ' 
though he thought so, too. In s > many words he 
told his army that Lee, including Jackson and i 
Stuart, in fact the whole outfit of the Confederacy, 
was the lawful property of the Army of the Poto- j 
mac ; and as he was now, about May 1st, ready , he f 
determined not to wait until Hood and Pickett got 
up from Suffolk, but would go over and take pos- 
session of what was in sight. 

We know that this was not the first time that such 
claim of property had been set up. McDowell at 
the first battle of Bull Run set up just such a claim. 
On July 21, 1861, and on the 22d, a great many of 
his men were looking for Beauregard an i his ani- 



62 IlEdOLLKOTIONS FROM 18G0 TO l965. 

mals in the city of New York, wi.hout guns (o kill 
or lassoes to tie .he animals with. 

Lee was a just nnd honorable mm, and as Hooker 
had claimed him and his army he had no desire to 
go off and thereby defraud him of his property. So 
when Hooker started out to fulfill his mission of 
taking possession of the 50,000 men of Lee, Lee 
simply placed them so that Joe could get them with 
the least difficulty. 

The battle of Chancellorsville was the outcome of 
this arrangement of Hooker. We all know that 
Hooker got his property, but it was too hot and 
heavy to take over the river when he went back. 
There were numerous other things which he did not 
take with him, such as guns, small arms, munitions 
of war, and he left his dead and wounded, with 
numbers of real live men as prisoners of war. 

I shall not go into details of this battle, as I was 
not there, and what I would say would only be 
from the knowledge of others. We know that when 
Joe was safe from harm he told the people of the 
North and his men that he and they had done pretty 
well (I suppose he meant in getting away), and 
gained quite a victory ; but I have never yet found 
any one that believed that. 

While there was great rejoicing at the Soulh for 
this vie; ory, there was also great sadness for the 
loss of Jackson, who by his great generalship and 
success had endeared himself to the entire South ; 
and in fac; his name was known throughout the 
entire world at this time. 



RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 63 

From the first Manassas, where he gained the 
name of Stonewall, in each successive move he had 
added to his fcime new laurels, until that day at 
Chancellorsville when, wiih 25,000 men, he was 
about to place himself in the rear of Hooker, with 
90,000, aud teach the world new features in warfare ; 
but on the eve of what was to be his greatest achieve- 
ment, and would have classed him t^ie greatest gen- 
eral of the age. In the twilight of the evening by 
his own men he fell, and the en; ire South was 
filled with grief ; but he uttered no word of con- 
demnation on his men. He quietly submitted to the 
will of that AUwise Providence, and passed from 
darkness into light. But we missed him on every 
battlefield from that time to the end ; and to-day 
there is not one liigh-minded man throughout 
this entire country that will refuse to pay a just 
tribute to the memory of Stonewall Jackson. 



CHAPTER VI.— Incidents of the IVlarcli from 
Fredericksburg to Gettysburg.— The 
Battle of Gettysburg, July 1st, 2d, 
and 3d. 



Soon after the battle of Chancellorsville Hood's 
and Pickett's divisions Joined Lee near Culpepper 
Conrt-House. The South was in good spirits. Vic- 
tory had perched on the banners of the Confederacy, 
and it was determined to again try invasion. The 
army was being reorganized into three corps — com- 
manded by Longstreet, the right ; Hill, center, and 
Ewell, the left. The army was fairly well clothed 
and equipped. Just before starting there was a re- 
view of all the cavalry and part of the infantry at 
Culpepper Court-House. There I saw for the first 
time Belle Boyd, the noted rebel spy. She was not 
a handsome woman, but might be called dashing ; 
that is, she looked so to me, as I was not in the habit 
of seeing many women those days. 

About the middle of June Ewell 's corps started 
for the Valley. Hooker seemed to know nothing of 



niSCOLUJCTIONS PKOM 18(10 TO 1805. 65 

this more, and lay quietly at Fredericksburg, refit- 
tin ; and organizin;- his army. 

It was wonderful how much killing those Irish 
t^eFTl" ?' ^'"'''■•■' --y-ullsta^d But 
m.n to fill up the places made vacant. There was 
much bonnty in the North and much bounty Jum^! 
ing. In many instances the same fellow w^ 
h.red several times, and is s ill alive and drawing 
h s pens.on to-day like a little hero, and to hea? 
hm alk you would think !>e ought to have been 

t^ 1 r^f "'^'k'""' '° ''""' ^"^-^ °"Sht, under 
the rules of war, been huu-. It was this ni==. 

that greatly helped to create th: 12 debt td 
helps .0 impoverish the country with the vast pen- 
sion list. The real soldiers of the North should see 
to It that aU such are dropped fr, m the rolls"/ such 
a thing IS possible. 

But I am digressing. I said that Hooker was 
quiet and seemed to know little of Lee'smove 
ments un u from the Valley came the astoundTng 
news that Winchester had beencap.ured and nearly 
all of the army of Milroy destroyed. Longstreet 
was following Ewell northward. Hooker hearing 
the above news moved from Falmouth and set Hilf 
kLwr^^ '° '"""" Longstreet. Lee must have 
known his man well to make this audacious move 
m the face of 100,000 men; that is, stretching Ws 
army out over 100 miles, making of it a very aTn 
skirmish line. It can only be accounted for by sup^ 



6G RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865- 

posing Hooker to be completely demoralized ; nd 
feared to appro ch Ljc Theie is no wonder ; for 
when a man gets as badly whipped as Hooker was 
at Chancellorsville it takes him a long time to get 
over the fright. I don't think Hooker ever did get 
fully over it, as he soon asked to be relieved. Alter 
the capture of Vv^inchester Lee moved forward with 
little difficulty, and nothing of note occurred until 
the army crossed the Potom .c, about the 24th of 
June, Ewell in advance. Hill and Longstreet well 
closed us. As we advanced into Matyland, amid 
the green fields, the spirits of the troops seemed to 
gain new life. It began to look to them as if they 
were on their road to plenty, if not peace. 

On the 27th Ewell was on his way to Carlisle, and 
Lonustreet and Hill at Chambersburg. 

On the 28th Hooker was relieved from the Army 
of the Potomac and Meade appointed to the com- 
mand. Meade said but little on takin < command. 
I suppose he knew the story of the poll parrot that 
did too much talking, and got its neck w-rung, and 
. he therefore kept quiet. But there was one thing 
that he did say that went to show that he was not 
so su;e of the final outcome, and that was to order 
the immediate shooting of any soldiers who did not 
stick, therefore placing a fellow between two fires. 
If he did he'd be shot, an 1 if he did not he'd be shot. 
He also told his generals lo make speeches to the men 
and tell them the necessity for sticking.'- Lee never 
had to issue such orders to his men. There is one 



RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 67 

other notable thin.? that, although Virginia had suf- 
fered ihe wanton destruction of private property, 
in some cases virtually by orders of the officers 
commanding, as in the case of Pope and lesser offi- 
cers, yet Lee, by his published orders, would not 
permit any wanton destruction of private property. 
The contrast was so great ihat some of the North- 
ern papers commented. But many of the people of 
Pennsylvania seemed to think that we would eat 
them. I v/as amused at a Dutch family near Cham- 
bersburg. I, with two of my company, ^ot leave to 
go out to get cherries. We carried our arms with 
us by orders. We approached a house. (In that State 
they bake bread for the week at a time). T.;e lady 
was at her baking. I poliiely asked her if we could 
get some cherries. Her husband came up, and joined 
in the conversation. He told me that he had been 
trying to get a baking of bread f ^ r his family, and 
as fat as he got it done some of the soldiers wouJd 
come and buy it from him (of course paying for it 
in Confederate money), and what he had in the 
oven was the last flour that he had. 1 said, ^' Why 
do you sell it to them ? "" He intimated th it he was 
affraid to refuse. I told him that he stood in no 
danger. The next soldier who wanted to buy his 
bread to lell him the state of affairs, and not sell it. 
With his consent I went up the cherry tree, and 
while there had the satisfaction of hearing tie lady 
refuse the next buyer, and she \\ as su prised at the 
gentlemanly manner in w hich he took the refusal. 



68 Recollections from 1860 to 1865. 

It is true that our commissary purchased all of the 
goods in the different towns ; but then they, like any 
other customer, paid for them in f,rood Confederate 
notes, and was perfectly willing, if there was any 
change, to take it in greenbacks, or even gold, or, if 
they preferred, to give them an order on the United 
States Government. The seller, as a general thing, 
doubted the possible acceptance of such orders ; but 
at the close of the war they were of great use to the 
smart ones who took them as proof of their claim for 
loss. 

Some of the people around that section were equal 
to bounty jumpers. It was related to me by a Fed- 
eral soldier (he had a leg off) that a man living near 
Gettysburg, after the war, put in a claim for $400 
against the Government and a like amount against 
the State also. This gentleman was sent to investi- 
gate it. He found the losses sustained as follows : 
House used as a hospital by the rebels ; parlor wall 
spattered with blood ; keeper off the front door : well- 
house filled with straw for wounded ; the loosing of 
one calico dress, cost about one dollar ; twenty chick- 
ens ; the whole not exceeding $25. Taking such 
charges as this in consideration we can readily see 
how such vast fortunes were made and how the war 
debt reached up in the thousands of millions. 

Ewell was, on the 28th, on his way to Harrisburg, 
Longstreet at Chambersburg, and Hill near them. 
Immediately on Meade assuming command of the 
Army of the Potomac, then at Frederick, Md., he 



RECOLLECTION FROM 1860 TO 1865. 69 

put it in motion for G-ettysburg ; but his engineers 
were looking for a line near Pipe Creek. In fact, 
wliile he was going forward, he was looking for a 
place to get back to (history), and I have no doubt 
that he fully expected to do so. 

At that time Lee was without his cavalry, and his 
information was not as reliable as it should have been. 
Receiving the intelligence that Meade was moving on 
Gettysburg Lee knew that his communications would 
be endangered, and therefore ordered Ewell back 
from Harrisburg to Gettysburg, and put Hill in mo- 
tion for the same place ; also two of Longstreet's di- 
visions ; Hood's and McLaw's were ordered to Gettys- 
burg ; Pickett's remaining at Chambersburg as a rear 
guard of the army. Thus we find, the last day of 
June, both armies approaching Gettysburg. Destiny 
had pointed out the path. They were following it. 

I shall describe what I saw of this battle and what 
I learned of it from men who were on different parts 
of the line, and were reliable, with more minuteness 
than I have other battles, because it is conceded that 
this was the turning j^oint of the war. On the last 
day of June, or rather the morning of July the 1st, 
Gettysburg was virtually surrounded by nearly 
200,000 men of both armies, varying in distance from 
8 to 30 miles. 

The old world is dotted with historical points and 
numerous battle fields that are famous. This conti- 
nent, or the United States, had just commenced to 
make its hirtoric spots. Virginia had nearly all of 



70 EECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1866. 

note up to this time ; but now Gettysburg, with its 
diverging roads, was about to become the most famous 
town and spot on this continent. It was an inland 
and obscure town, but by the decree of fate the cur- 
tain of obscurity was withdrawn, and Gettysburg, Pa., 
was to become, on this 1st day of July, 1863, known 
throughout the civilized world. Two armies, com- 
posed of American soldiers, were about to meet in 
deadly conflict. Two armies, such as this continent 
had never seen before, commanded by the ablest sol- 
diers of the age, and each fighting for what they con- 
scientiously believed to be holy, right, and just. The 
soldiery qualities of the American people were +o be 
tested to their full extent, and on these beautiful 
fields, amid the hills, where nature seemed to have 
expended vast labor to beautify. Soon they were to 
be turned into a pandemonium, and amid the rattle 
and roar, smoke and fire, the passions of men and 
his powers of destruction were to be witnessed. 

On the 1st day of July, 1863, Hill's Confederate 
troops were in motion, advancing toward Gettysburg, 
on the Chambersburg pike. Buford's cavalry was 
also in motion, moving through Gettysburg. About 
two miles west of the town they met, both officers de- 
ployed their troops, and the dropping fire of small 
arms told that the battle had begun. Soon General 
Keyuolds came up with part of his first corps Each 
side was being reinforced, and General Buford gath- 
ered up his cavalry and retired to the rear, so as 
the infantry might have a chance. Thus at about 10 



RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 71 

o'clock the battle was growing strong. The Feder- 
als were pressing on as though they meant figlit, and 
Hill's advance was getting the worst of it. Soon Gen- 
eral Reynolds was killed. Howard was soon on the 
field. His eleventh corps was coming into line on the 
night of the first, and at nearly right-angles with it, 
and covering Gettysburg to the north. Hill was be- 
ing pressed, but was holding on well, bringing for- 
ward his troops as fast as he could ; but soon this 
would change. About 1 o'clock, from the nori h, one 
of E well's divisions were seen in the distance ap- 
proaching. He soon had his artillery in position, and 
its thunder was added to increase the storm of battle. 
Soon the second division came up, taking places on 
the left of Rhodes, he extending to the right, and 
about 3 o'clock he found an opening in the Federal 
lines between the two Federal corps. Rhodes was 
a good soldier. He did not hesitate, but hurled his 
men into the opening, and the fight for that day was 
won. The right of one and the left of the other corps 
of Howard was driven back. Hill was relieved of 
the pressure. Early advanced on the left and Hill on 
the right, thus completing the victory, and^in a lew 
minutes the Federal troops were in full retreat 
through the town of Gettysburg, and being i^ressed 
by the Confederates. The loss of Hill was severe ; 
but we were fully compensated for it. The 1st and 
11th corps were nearly ground up. They left 5,000 
prisoners in our hands, besides their killed and 
wounded. 



"^^ EECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 

Thus ended the first day. The battle closed at 5 
o'clock. Why was it ? Let history answer. To say 
that Hill's and E well's troops fought with their 
usual gallantry would be useless at this time. The 
world has long since admitted that the soldiers in 
the army of the Confederate States were the equal 
of any soldiers of the world, and it takes but few 
w^ords to express their qualities — bravest of the 
brave. Of course I am prejudiced ; yet I have the 
world at large as my authority. 

The first day at Gettysburg was only a prelude 
of what was to follow. During the night both 
armies were being hurried forward by their com- 
manders. Meade had determined, at the sug lestion 
of Hancock, to make his stand here, and wisely. 
Nature had made this locality for a field of battle, 
if nature does such thinss. The position held by 
Meade was one of the best for defense that could 
have possibly been found in this locality ; and dur- 
ing the night to the natural strength Meade was 
adding artifical works, and by 12 o'clock, July the 
2d, it was almost impre^xnable to any other but Lee, 
and to any army but his it would have looked that 
way. But Lee know his army, and knew that if 
such a thing was possible at his command they 
would accomplish it. And beins" placed in such a 
condition that he must cripple his adversary before 
retreating, if it should become necessary, Lee de- 
termined to make the attempt to carry Meade's 
lines by assault. To that end he commenced to 



RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 73 

make preparation, and ordered Longstreet to assault 
Meade's left and Ewell to advance on his right. 

The Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of 
the Potomac had often before met amid the smoke 
of battle and clash of arms ; but this day, July 2, 
1863, was destined to surpass in blood and death all 
former struggles. Men were on this day to grapple 
in the agonies of death aud fall side by side and ex- 
pire. 

At 4 o'clock iu the evening Longstreet was readj . 
Opposite were the lines of Meade, bristling with 
steel, sullenly awaiting the onset, not knowing 
when or where the blow v.ould fall ; but it soon 
developed. Longstreet gave the command, and at 
his word 100 guns belched forth their smoke and 
flame, and sent out howling, shrieking, crashing 
across the field their iron messengers of death. 
The wager of battle was accepted by Meade, and 
the answering thunder of his guns added more con- 
fusion to the storm of battle. This infernal din and 
destruction was kept up for n ore than half an hour, 
and then vvas seen to move forward the veterans of 
Longstreet. Steadily they advanced across the 
field. The crash of musketry joined the roar of ar- 
tillery, and amid smoke and fire these men moved 
steadily forward. Sickel's troops had been thrown 
forward, and they were the first to receive the 
shock. Bravely tbey held their ground for a time ; 
but Loiigstreet's men fought with a desperation that 
could not be resisted, and gradually Sickle's was be- 



•74 RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1965. 

iug forced back by McLavv's men. Inch by incli, foot 
by foot, the f?ronnd was given. The fight was terri- 
ble. Breast to breast men fought, fell, and died. 
Suddenly we see Hood, with his Texans, press for- 
ward to the right of McLaw and envelope Sickle's 
left, and his line gave way. The tide of battle was 
in favor of the men in grey. Hood, sweeping to the 
right, sees that the key of the position is Little Round 
Top. He immediately placed himself in front of his 
men and ordered them forward to that point. Then 
the rush for victory commenced. Up that steep and 
rocky ascent those men of Hood went. Nearing the 
top they met the fire of musketry in their faces, and 
then commenced a struggle for the mastery like the 
world had never seen before. With bayonet thrusts,fir- 
ing in each others faces at three yards, dying together, 
and falling down the mountain side as they died. 
This bloody work went on until the mountain side 
was red with blood. But the end was coming. 
Hood's men were being decimated by shot and shell — 
outnumbered. Finally they fell back, amid a shower 
of musket balls, to the low ground. Sickles was still 
being pressed back by McLaw' s, and this continued 
for more than a mile. For three hours this hell on 
earth was kept up until night put an end to it. The 
losses on both sides had been severe, and Longstreet 
had accomplished nothing to recomiDense him for it. 
After night the grey lines fell back near their old po- 
sition, and thus ended one of the most bloody and 
persistent attacks of the war. On the right (Meade's) 



RECOLLECTIONS PROM 1860 TO 1865. 75 

Ewell's success had been better. He had cha.-ged 
with his division uj) the rocky steep of Gulp's Hill 
and penetrated the Federal lines, and at night held 
them. Thus thS 2d day of this modern battle closed. 
The valor of the troops had been tested to their full- 
est extent, and in no case found wanting. But the 
bravest troops in the world can not accomplish im- 
possibilities. 

It is useless to mention regiments and brigades. 
Suffice it to say to that these men were of the Con- 
federate army. 

At night, July 2d, the men were resting on their 
arms, wornout with the day's fighting, and thinking 
of comrades who had fought their last fight. Thou- 
sands of homes, both North and South, would be 
filled with sorrow for the husband, father, or brother 
who would never come again. 

The silent stars looked down on the faces of the 
dead and blushed for the passions of men. The 
wounded were being cared for as well as possible 
under the circumstances, and the living were think- 
ing of the morrow. Thus passed the night. 

July 3, 1863, daw^ned, and all was activity. Both 
commanders were astir early and in council with 
their subordinates. This day, perhaps, would deter- 
mine the success or failure of one of these armies. 
Meade during the night had straightened his lines 
and were in a better condition than tl^e day before. 
Lee viewed his lines, looking for the place that 
might show some signs of weakness, but found 



76 RECOLLECTIONS FR03I 1860 TO 1865. 

none. He had tried both wings, and now, after due 
reflec. ion, de ermined to strike the center of Meade's 
arniy, and if he could break throu^ and reach the 
Baltimore pike, then good bye to Meade's army, 
and his head would fall in the basket. Thus we 
find the situation on the morning of July 3, 1863. 
This day was to become one of the days memorable 
in hist *ry. Yet the quiet that jDre vailed in the early 
morning gave no signs that within the radius of 10 
miles were concentrated nearly 150,000 soldiers, and 
that two days' fighting had taken place in the vicin- 
ity. Yet such had been the case, and at that time 
every house and barn within miles around were 
filled with the wounded of the two armies. 

Soldiers know little of what is taking place out- 
side of their immediate commands. They hear the 
roar of artillery and crash of battle, and see the 
wounded coming from the front and hear all kind 
of rumors and reports, and there their knowledge 
ends. 

Lee having determined to make the attack the 
orders were given to Longstreet, and he began to 
make ready for the attack. Pickett's division of 
Virginia troops, to which I belonged, had arrived on 
the evening before. (I shall tell this from actual 
knowledge.) We had moved from Chambersburg 
in the early morning of the 2d, anl marching 27 
miles halted, and went into camp about 4 miles in 
rear of the line of battle. We knew that a severe 
battle was going on in front, and we also knew that 



RECOLLECflONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 77 

there had been a fight on July 1st, and that our 
army had been very successful. 

AT hough the roar of artillery was sharp at the 
front and the wounded were being taken to the 
rear, we of Pickett's division were tired and hun- 
gry, and paid at ention to the part of hunger at 
once. After eating and resting a short time we 
were ready to hear the news of the day. 

Of course rumors of all kinds reached us. It was 
finally known to us that, while the battle was some- 
what in our favor, that it was not decisive. As 
early as 9 o'clock that^ night we knew that our serv- 
it es would be required in the morning, but were in 
hopes that it was for pursuit only, as our division 
was the reserve of the army. 

As early as 3 o'clock on the morning of the 3d of 
July the division was stirring and under arms, 
ready to move forward. We little dreamed what 
was before us on that memorable day. We moved 
slowly forward, and about 10 o'clock we took posi- 
tion on the line of battle, facing Meade's left cen- 
ter and on the ri-;ht of Hill's division and slightly 
in advance. It soon became known that our (Pick- 
ett's) division was to attack during the d ly. It had 
been slightly hazy, with fleeting clouds, but the 
sun had come out in all its brightness, and it was 
extremely hot and opjjressive on the men, many of 
them in the open field. As the day progressed it 
became a certainty that we were on the eve of some- 
thing desperate, and finally each regiment was in- 



78 RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 

formed what it had to do and what was expected 
of it. 

Up to this time, near 1 o'clock, all had been quiet; 
artillery had been movin ; into line and taking- po- 
sition ; but there was not even an occasional shot 
to disturb the quiet. About 1 o'clock the sound of 
twoWhitworth tuns broke the stillness, and imme- 
diately 125 L uns, all alone? the line, joined in. In a 
few moments the Federals opened with about 80 
guns and joined in the infernal din that fairly shook 
the mountains. The smoke soon darkened the sun, 
and the scene produced was similar to a gigantic 
thunder-storm, the screechin.? of shot and shell pro- 
ducing the soun I of the whistlin ? blast of winds. 
Man seldom ever sees or hears the like of this but 
once in a lifetime ; and those that saw and heard 
this infernal crash and witnessed the havoc made by 
the shrieking, howling missiles of death as they 
plowed the earth and tore the trees will never for- 
get it. It seemed that death was in every foot of 
space, and safety was only in flight ; but none of the 
men did that. To know the tension of mind under 
a fire like that, it must be experienced ; it can not be 
told in words. There is nothing to which I could 
compare it so as it would be made plain to one who 
ha;l never been there. For two long hours this pande- 
monium was kept up, and then, as suddenly as it 
commenced, it ceased. For a few moments all was 
quiet again. Then was to come the work of death. 
(I was a member of Armistead's Brigade.) The com- 



BECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 79 

mand attention was heard, and the men rose from the 
ground, where they had been lying during the fire of 
artillery. 

If I should live for a hundred years I shall never 
forget that moment or the command as given by 
General Louis A. Armistead on that day. He was 
an old army officer, and was possessed o^' a very loud 
voice, which could be heard by the whole brigade, 
being near my regiment. He gave the command, in 
words, as follows : "Attention, second battalion ! bat- 
talion of direction forward ; guides center ; march ! 'j 
I never see at anytime a battalion of .soldiers but 
what it recalls those words. He turned ; placed him. 
self ■about twenty paces in front of his brigade, and 
took the lead. His place was in the rear, properly. 
After moving he x)laced his hat on the point of his 
sword, and held it above his head, in front of him. 
Much has been written of this charge, and it has be- 
come historical. 

It is not egotism in me to be partial, because I was 
a soldier in it. For this charge and the gallantry 
shown by this division on that occasion is not only 
the property and glory of its men, not only the glory 
and pride of Virginia, but it belongs with all its glory 
to the entire people of the South as much so as do 
the deeds of the Confederate armies. 

Therefore I am simply trying to describe this onset 
of Pif^k it's division with a trut t and accuracy as I 
saw ii and as I re(H>llect it, and will try not to exag- 
gerate the action of the division or cast reflect'oa on 
others. 



80 KECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 

In a battle like Grettysburg, when all did their duty; 
when men faced death with seemingly no fear ; whem 
nearly every State in the South was represented, and; 
to-day have to mourn the loss of hundreds of their sonSy 
whose bodies sleep beneath the soil of Pennsylvania, 
in unmarked but honored graves. When these sSmes 
sons, in life as one grand whole, made up the Army 
of Northern Virginia, commanded by that great and 
noble man, Robert E. Lee, I say that the acts of 
every regiment, brigade, and division, of every officer 
and soldier, added glory to that army. That it was 
the property of all, and all should cast aside any feel- 
ing or thought that would tend to cloud the title of 
any to an equal share in the glorious deeds of that 
army, which the world has admitted to have been 
one of the greatest, in all respects, of modern times. 
With this explanation of my position I shall pro- 
ceed. 

I said that this charge had become historical, and 
yet little has been said of the gallant Armistead ; 
therefore I must devote some few words to him. , 
With his hat on his sword he led his brigade, being 
in front of it, and cheering it on. His men saw him. 
They saw his example. They caught his fire and de- 
termination, and then and there they resolved to fol- 
low that heroic leader until the enemy's bullets 
stopped them. It was his example, his coolness, his 
courage that led that brigade over that field of bloo:', 
through a fire of shot and shell, that the world had 
scarcely ever witnessed before, and the survivors of 



RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1360 TO 1865. 81 

that brigade wherever met will testity to his gal- 
lantly and their love and respect Tor his memory. 

The division moved forward at command, in com- 
mon time, and as it cleared the woods its work was 
seen before it. Long lines of bristling bayonets and 
the blackened month of numerous artillery, which at 
the time were quietly awaiting to deal death and de 
struct'on to us. But the men in that line, by their 
steady step and well-dressed lines, seemed to be de- 
termined to do or die. 

(The writer of this was a second lieutenant and 
file-closer at that time ; that is, in rear of his com- 
pany, and could see all that was in front.) 

All was quiet ; we had cleared the woods, and ad- 
vanced about 200 yards. (We had about one mile to 
go before reaching the Federal lines.) Suddenly 
about fifty pieces of artillery opened on our lines. 
The crash of shell and solid shot, as they came howl- 
ing and whistling through the lines, seemed to make 
no impression on the men. There was not a waver ; 
but all was as steady as if on parade. Forward was 
the command, and steady, boys, came from the offi- 
cers, as we advanced. Crash after crash came the 
shot and shell. Great gaps were being made in the 
lines, only to be closed up ; and the same steady, 
move-forward; the division was being decimated. 
Its line was shortening, but as steady as ever, the 
gallant Armistead still in the lead, his hat working 
down to the hilt of his sword, the point having gone 
through it. He seemed to be as cool as if on drill. 



82 BECOLLECTIONS FBQM I860 TO 1865. 

with not a sound of cannon near. We were nearing 
the Emmittsburg road. There were two fences at 
that road, but they were no impediment. The men 
go over them, and reform and forward again. At this 
point the crash of musketry was added to the roar of 
artillery. Men were falling in heaps. Up to this 
time no shot had been fired by this division. 

Within 300 yards of the Federal works Garnett's 
brigade give their usual yell and strike the double- 
quick. At 100 yards they- deliver their fire and dash 
at the works with the bayonet. 

Kemper's brigade takes up the yell, fire, and dashes 
at them with the bayonet. Armistead, who is a little 
to the left and rear,catches the enthusiasm, joins the 
yell, and, on the run, Armistead fell back to the rear 
to give his brigade a chance to fire. They fire and 
rush at the works and to the assistance of Garnett 
and Kemper. There are shouts, fire, smoke, clashing 
of arms. Death is holding high carnival. Pickett 
has carried the line. Garnett and Kemper are both 
down. Armistead dashes through the line, and, 
mounting the wall of stone, commanding follow me, 
advances fifty paces within the Federal lines, and is 
shot down. The few that followed him and had not 
been killed fall back over the wall, and the fight goes 
on. Death lurks in every foot of space. Men fall in 
heaps, still fighting, bleeding, dying. The remnant 
of the division, with scarce any officers,look back over 
the field for the assistance that should have been 
there; but there are no troops in sight; they had 



RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 83 

vanished from the field, and Fickett's division, or 
what is left of it, is fighting the whole Federal 
center alone. 

We see ourselves being surrounded. The fire is 
alreadj' from both flanks and front ; but yet they 
fight on and die. This can not last. The end must 
come ; and soon there is no help at hand. All the 
officers are down, with few exceptions, either killed 
or wounded. Soon a few of the remnant of the divi- 
sion started to the rear, followed by shot, shell, and 
musket-balls. 

Out of 4,800 men in line that morning there was not 
more than 600 left to tell the tale of our annihilation. 
Fully sixty per cent were dead or wounded and the 
balance in the hands of the enemy. This ended the 
battle of Gettysburg. 

The climax of hard fighting was over. Begun by 
Hill and Ewell on the first day, continued by Long- 
street on the second day, and closed by Pickett on 
the third day. 

At 5 o'clock that evening Lee was at bay, and woe 
to the troops that dared to advance against him. His 
old army was there, just as defiant, just as full of fight 
as ever ; and Meade knew it, and took the wise pre- 
caution of not attacking. 

On the night of July 3d, over on Seminary Ridge, 
stood the old veterans of Longstreet, Hill, and Ewell 
just as defiant as ever. They had seen their com. 
rades on the past three days give their lives freely as 
they had often seen other comrades do before. They 



84 RECOLLECTIONS PROM 1860 TO 1865. 

knew that they had met with a bloody repulse and 
great loss ; but they knew that Lee was still there 
and they were ready to obey his command and fol- 
low where he ordered. Their confidence in him was 
not the least shaken, nor would it be even to the end. 

While the Army of Northern Virginia was for the 
time checked, it had shown to the world of what 
stuff it was made ; and in the three days' fighting it 
had shown to the world a gallantry that would go 
down the ages and grow in brightness as time rolls 
on. 

Meade by his action in not moving forward ad- 
mitted its greatness. He knew that it was intact and 
could not be demoralized ; and when that fact, under 
the circumstances, was admitted by an enemy, there 
is no reason why we should not be proud of the old 
heroes. They stood defiant for two days, awaiting 
attack, and then at Lee's command moved back to 
Virginia, checked, but not a defeated army. 

Here I leave you, grand old army, loved Lee, and 
comrades of my sufferings. A new life is before me. 
I had passed over that field of fire and death. I 
had followed Armistead until I saw him fall. I 
had walked back over the wall, and being the only 
officer at that point I assumed command. The men 
fought with desperation, cool and courageous, until 
surrounded on all sides. I finally gave orders to all 
to look out for themselves, and my duties ceased as an 
officer from that time. Believing it my duty to re- 
main at that wall as long as there was any hope, I 



RECOLLECTIONS PROM 1860to 1865. 85 

remained until the question was whether I would 
die or be captured. I chose the latter, and found 
myself a prisoner of war. In passing to the rear of 
Meade's army I saw that which, if it had been known 
to Lee, even then the battle might have changed. In 
fact at that point Meade' s army was wh ipped. Worse, 
it was demoralized, and to a large extent ; but this 
knowledge was of no value. I could not eommuni- 
cate it to heaaquarters. 



CHAPTER VII— Prison Life.— Home Again. 
Conclusion. 



Virtually I was dead as far as my services to the 
Confederacy was concerned. Classed among the 
missing on the report of my company ; but I turned 
up within the Federal lines, alive and well in body, 
but not in mind. The surrounding circumstances 
were strange, and created a feeling that I recollect 
at the time was unexplainable. The word dazed 
about expresses it. But in a few hours I began to 
realize the situation. I was in a camp with about 
1 ,800 others, from all parts of our army. The Yanks 
had seemingly made a haul. At 9 o'clock that niuht 
the provost-marshal-general made a speech to us. 
Among other things he said ''that General Long- 
street was captured and various other generals 
killed or captured. In fact that Lee's army was 
gone up," and wound up by saying "that we were 
surrounded by several hundred guards, and at the 
first attempt to escape he would open fire and 
slaughter us indiscriminately." 

July the 4th we were taken to Baltimore. Rough 



RilCOLLECTION FROM 1860 TO 1865. 87 

marching and some brutality among the guards to- 
ward the prisoners. For a few days we remained 
at Fort McHenry, and where then sent to Fort Dela- 
ware. At that point the officers were separated 
from the privates and sent to Johnsons Island, Ohio, 
in Lake Erie. 

I did not have much time to see prison life at Fort 
Delaware. The trip to Ohio took three days. We 
were fed at Pittsburg. Arriving? at the island, in 
Lake Erie, at sundown our names, rank, etc, were 
taken, and we were committed for the offense of 
being in rebellion, and at times were to enjoy about 
the same treatment that was accorded to American 
prisoners on the prison ships by England in '76. 

All have read or heard of the reported treatment 
of Federal prisoners at Belle Isle, Libbey, and An- 
dersoiiville. Such might have been the case. It 
might have been true ; but there was some excuse 
for it. The Confederacy could not feed their armies. 
It was impossible to care for the sufferin'^ popula- 
tion near these prisons ; but in the wealthy Norths 
with is fields teemin :; with grain, amid plenty, it 
may perhaps sound harsh, but it is a fact when I say 
that men suffered, yes, starved, at Johnsons Island, 
Ohio. At this late day it is not necessary to call up 
recollections only for the truth of history. This 
state of affairs as regards prisoners of war was 
brought about by ignoring the cartel of exchange. 
Vv^e know that the South had nothing to do with 
that, as we were always ready to deliver prisoner for 



8S recolleOtioKs from 1860 to 1865. 

prisoner, and toward the latter part of 64 we wei-e 
willing to send North men even without men in 
exchange. Therefore the blame must fall on Stan- 
ton, who was Secretary of War. And from my 
standpoint as a Confederate prisoner, and I believe 
from the s andpoint of Federal prisoners, that we 
were justified in visiting the severest condemnation 
on him while living, and to try and forget, now that 
he is dead, that he ever lived. 

On our arrival at Johnsons Island, we were in- 
formed by the prisoners there before us that the 
ladies of Sandusky, Ohio, which was just across the 
lake, gave a party, with wine, cake, and their pres- 
ence, to any soldier who shot a rebel, and that we 
would have to be very careful or we would pay the 
price of a party. I don't know about the party 
part, but I do know that several prisoners were shot 
on slight provocation, but the men who shot them 
had r.ever been to the front, or it would not have 
been so. Life in all the prisons of the North was 
about the same — one of misery, suffering, and many 
deaths. It is not perhaps generally known, but it is 
a fact iha*^ ihere were more deaths in Nort' ern than 
in Southern (statistics say so) prisons. 

It is true that there were times when men forgot 
thMr sorrows, and life was endurable. We had men 
of all classes in the different prisons, (I visited for- 
cibly Point Lookout, Fort Delaware, and Johnsons 
Island). Store keepers, manufa turers of bone 
trinkets, jewelry, in fact most anything, could be 



KECOLLECTIONS FKOM 1860 TO 1865. ''0 

bought, provided a man had the money. We lad 
some amusements— singing, preach ng, debating 
clubs, etc. I was a washer W'>man; I did wi-shing 
and ironing, and by them made my tobacco; for be 
it known that we had millionaires in prison, men 
with money. 

After returnin ; home in '65 I suggested to my 
wife that I could help her iron the clothes; she let 
me try, and decided that I was not a Chinaman in 
that respect; but I managed to make the rebels at 
the Island think so. 

One evening, after my washing was done, sadly 
thinkini>- of what was and what " might have been '' 
that Great Delusion of mine got the upper hand of 
my judgment, and I again imagined that I was born 
a poet, and while in that mood I wrote the follow- 
ing: 

Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg, July 3, 1863. 

It was morning, and the cloudless sky gave token 
Of a day of beauty on earth by storm unbroken. 
Along the road in lines of darkened form 
Moved men who amid the battle's storm 
That soon would break over the field. 

They moved in silence, yet fearless ot the coming storm 
That soon would break and number many a form 
Of manly virtue with the dead, whose names 
On history's page to come would be a mark to ages, 
Telling them of deeds of valor done 
And teach them never to tyrants yield. 



90 RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 

The deafening thunders broke the stillness of earth, 
And the sun obscured by smoke that from 
The blackened cannon's mouth sent death 
In each discharge to many of that gallant band, 
Who waited but the order charge, to march defiant 
To the cannon's mouth and teach the foe to yield. 

The order was given in manly tones 

That caused each heart to swell with pride, 

As over that blood-stained field they trod, where many 

fell, 
Hurling defiance in the enemy's teeth, who but a 
Moment before, in pride and self-relianee, stood 

And felt himself secure from Pickett' s relentless steel. 

Garnett, Kemper, Armistead, with heroic courage. 
Led ou. Virginia's sons, who oft before on many 
Fields of carnage, won and wore the laurel wreath 
Of victory. With pride they trod the plain. 
Amid the shriek of shell and leaden rain. 
To teach the foe how freeman feel. 

While Pickett stood watching the steady onward stride, 
With hopes, with prayers, God speed and guide 
The footsteps of that hero band, who's eyes flashed de- 
termined fire, 
Resolved to conquer, or on that bloody field expire 
And to God their spirits yield. 

Nearly every day there would be rumors of the 
renewal of the cartel of exchange, but it never 



K12C0LLECTI0NS FROM i860 TO 1865. 01 

came; we all know at this time, and knew then, that 
it would not do to ;:ive Lee any more men; the 
Federals could get all they wanted, and could afford 
to let their men die in Southern prisons, and help to 
eat up what little food we had. " Oh, Stanton, how 
is it with your soul. " 

Time passed by, and this liTe in prison was almost 
unendurable. Numerous schemes were tried to es- 
cape; one or two attempts on a large scale were 
started, but failed; finally in January, '65, the ex- 
change was commenced, but very slowly, so slowly 
that only a few got through before the close of the 
war. I was on my way to Richmond when it fell, 
and was sent to Fort Delaware, and was kept there 
until June 13, 1865. It was a question with us 
what was to be our fate; it was said that all of the 
officers \^ere to go to the Dry Tortugas, and it did 
bezin to look that way, but on the 13th of June I, 
with about 300 others, was released, given trans- 
portation, and told to go and sin no more. I arrived 
home on the 15th, to find my wife on Ihe verge of 
the grave. My lit'le children did not know me, and 
wondered what right I had there, but as their mother 
made no objection I remained, and I have been 
there ever since. Those little boys and that little 
girl are now married, and I have numerous grand- 
children. My wife suffered all that it was possible 
for a woman to suffer and live. I found her health 
broken, with eyes impaired from constant sewing to 
keep bread for her children. We are now growing 



92 RECOLLECTIONS FROM 1860 TO 1865. 

old, and looking back and remembering all of our 
trials, the friends that are gone, we can say that 
both of us were honest in our opinions. "That we 
believed then that we were right and that we believe 
now that we were right then." 

FINIS. 



PRESS OF 

Hayworth PubIvIshing House, 

615 F Street, N. W., 

WASHINGTON, D. C. 



